ST PAUL'S CHURCH

St Paul's Drive, Alverthorpe, Wakefield, WF2 0BT

Contact: Rev Gerald Sykes Tel: 01924 383724

Email: Vicar2@kheokapfo.net

The Church Foundation Stone was laid in March 1823 and  opened 1st July 1825 and  the Church is now almost 185 years old.  The Church was one of the ‘Million’ Churches built as a result of the Government donating £1million following the Napoleonic Wars. Alverthorpe was chosen to receive a new Church because of its expected expansion by the building of new mills and factories during the industrial revolution and was part of a township known as Alverthorpe cum Thornes which did not have an established church building.  The new Church was sited on top of a hill from which it could be seen by most of its new parish which included Wrenthorpe even though Wrenthorpe was in an adjacent township.  The new mills and factories were not of sufficient number to employ the number of people to warrant the size of the new Church,  which was difficult to access for many of its parishioners, perched on top of a steep hill.

Wakefield Parish Church became Wakefield Cathedral in 1888 which meant Wakefield became a Cathedral City and the township of Alverthorpe cum Thornes was merged into the new City by 1904.

New Churches and Parishes subsequently divided the original St Paul’s Parish

• The Government unexpectedly received warloan repayment from Austria and gave further money to the Church Building Fund which partly funded  the building of St. James, Thornes - 1829.
• Parishioners meeting in rooms on Westgate Common because St. Paul’s was too cold in winter became a steering committee which led to the building of St Michael’s, Westgate Common - 1858.
• St Anne’s, Wrenthorpe was built – St Paul’s curate became its first vicar -1874.
• St George’s, Lupset was built following the building of a large council estate -1937.

Alverthorpe had an attached hamlet of Flanshaw and over the years Alverthorpe has shrunk in size eg Alverthorpe Hall demolished circa 1950 and replaced by Flanshaw Infants School with part of its grounds becoming an extension of Flanshaw Estate. Alverthorpe Cricket Field became another extension of Flanshaw Estate and St Michael’s Parish took over parts of Flanshaw – Flanshaw Hall which stood on top of Flanshaw Hill  was demolished and replaced by St Michael’s Junior School circa 1950 but also the densely populated centre of the village has been replaced by more spacious housing. Flanshaw now has a greater population than Alverthorpe.

There have been changes within the Church since 1825:

• the side galleries, on which the music group accompanied the services, were removed
• an organ was installed and replaced by the present one
• a stained glass window was installed in memory of those killed in action in the 1st World War
• a chancel screen was erected in memory of Revd Joseph Walton, a long serving Vicar
• bells were installed after the 2nd World War – the heaviest musical instrument in West Yorkshire
• a new altar was installed on a platform in front of the chancel steps circa 1967
• rooms were created under the balcony at the rear of the Church circa 1970
• gas lighting was replaced by chandaliers from the Cathedral and replaced again by the present lighting
• rooms were created in the Crypt circa 1985 but are presently not usable

In 1974 there was a major coal mining disaster when men from Lofthouse Colliery were possibly trapped underground directly below a field off  Batley Road and the Church became part of a national focal point because bearings for pinpointing a round the clock rescue operation from the ordnance survey trig point on top of the Church Tower - to locate a point to drill a shaft – unfortunately the rescue attempt was unsuccessful.

The Church had its own Vicar from 1840 to 2001 but presently shares a Vicar with St Michael’s Parish.

The Vicarage was built on Balne Lane and later a Mission Church was erected in its grounds -  the Vicar had to travel through the village to get to Church until the new Vicarage was built in 1962 in its present location almost opposite the Church.

St Paul’s cream coloured sandstone over almost two centuries has been covered with a layer of grey black pollution partially cleansed by acid rain and boiler fumes although the latter has left some erosion in its wake.  The Building has not been regarded as having any special merit and is presently listed as Grade C by Wakefield MDC although the grading is presently being reviewed.  Nevertheless it is a building approaching 200 years old, has been featured as the most landlocked church in the country and is a visually prominent landmark in the surrounding district.

A new Aided School was opened in 1974 which is presently Infant/Junior with Nursery.

The graveyard on the north, west and south sides of the Church was specifically for Church burials and the graveyard to the south of the Church was administered by the Local Authority.  The Church graveyard is closed except for the burial of cremated remains and the Local Authority graveyard is almost full.

There are plans for alterations to the Church related to increased community use which includes an improvement to its heating system which has never been adequate for the size of the building so its history will continue ongoing.

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