St Mary's in the Wood Church, Leeds, July 2012

First post

I don't live far from this Church and remember seeing the emergency services attending the place. I was fast asleep when it was up in flames and only knew about it when I drove past to get home.

This is a link to the BBC News site which shows it on fire: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10300776

The congregation had to move out of the Church as the running costs were to high. They now have a building about three or four houses up the road from the burnt down Church. I believe the Church had been empty for up to a year before it was burnt down.

I took just two pictures short of 100 photos so I'll do my best to find the better of the ones I have







































Thanks

I hate it when churches end up like this seems such a shame.

I live 5 minutes down the road from here - Absolutely appalled at what’s happened to this place - Even worse it appears that druggies and women with questionable morality are using the mausoleum and some kind of knocking shop/drug den. I really hope the conversion plans go ahead for this place - I would personally rather see it as apartments than demolished. Great report Sir!

Always a sad sight when a place that, for hundreds of years was revered and considered special ends up like this. Dwindling congregations are partly to blame, of course. Recently, I went back to the first church in which I was organist and choirmaster. Back then, we had choir practices on Friday, (Two - one for the youngsters and one for the adult choir) then THREE services on a Sunday - matins, sung eucharist and evensong. Congregation numbers were never less than 350 - 400 for the sung Eucharist. I learned, with some sadness, that there is no longer a choir at all, and the beloved old organ I knew so well was ripped out and its pipes in the skip. There is now only one sung service - A MONTH, and that by a "folk group". Attendances, they tell me are down to about 80 on a Sunday - there is no matins or evensong, and the churchwarden tells me there are already plans to close the church down as it is no longer viable.

In the graveyard are the headstones of people who were in my first choir. Sadly, even this will not be their final resting place as the site will be sold off, the graves moved and yet more "development" will take place.

Capture these once-loved places folks. We take more than photos - we capture the feeling of the places we visit.

I am disabled, unable to mount the heroic expeditions some of you have done - and my photography isn't the best.

So a MAJOR thank you to all of you who get out there and DO it!

They made e good job of this! b-----ds,great pics.

One of the posts indicated there was a plan to convert this shell to flats? Seems like a great idea.

Wakey Lad said:

I live 5 minutes down the road from here - Absolutely appalled at what’s happened to this place - Even worse it appears that druggies and women with questionable morality are using the mausoleum and some kind of knocking shop/drug den. I really hope the conversion plans go ahead for this place - I would personally rather see it as apartments than demolished. Great report Sir!

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Have you been there too? There is one at the rear and I did go in. I did get some pictures but didn't post them. There was evidence of sexual activity, drug and alcohol misuse. There was a screwed up sleeping back in the buses next to it too :/

The building is supposed to be turned into apartments a bit like this one, also in Morley:
http://goo.gl/maps/TSsyl (Google maps link)

I have fella, amazing church yard here - Very sad the gates have been padlocked to stop people going in. I don't post all the sites i visit, theres a few good ones round the Morley/Tingley area - If you want details just pm me

m1key said:

Have you been there too? There is one at the rear and I did go in. I did get some pictures but didn't post them. There was evidence of sexual activity, drug and alcohol misuse. There was a screwed up sleeping back in the buses next to it too :/

The building is supposed to be turned into apartments a bit like this one, also in Morley:
http://goo.gl/maps/TSsyl (Google maps link)

Click to expand...