Newton Park Union Church, Chapeltown, Leeds

This building was originally the Newton Park (Union Church) Congregational Baptist built in 1887, on the site of a former chapel. During the early 1950s it had been a Royal Airforce Association Club. The back part of the building also served as a synagogue during the 1950s. In 1963 it became a Sikh Temple. A Gurdwara, as it is known, is taken from two nouns: "Guru" meaning God and "dwara" meaning house - Gurdwara therefore literally means House of God.
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In 1938 Wm Potts & Sons Ltd Leeds installed the clock shown above. This clock had originally been installed in Wellington Station, Leeds in 1916


How bizarre that the front of this huge building is relatively intact, yet round the back it is in ruins, with overgrown vegetation and littered with needles. we even saw a fox!


004 by catatonia1, on Flickr

006 by catatonia1, on Flickr


007 by catatonia1, on Flickr


009 by catatonia1, on Flickr


011 by catatonia1, on Flickr

012 by catatonia1, on Flickr

I really wonder why the Sikhs vacated this building and instead built the grand building over th eroad for their worship???

mummyshambles said:

I really wonder why the Sikhs vacated this building and instead built the grand building over th eroad for their worship???

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Probably less expensive in the long run to build something new rather than maintain the old church. Interesting building though. Love the Sikh emblem on the front. Nice find.

Strange how the front looks fine and the back is a wreck. I would love to have an old church as a goth house.