Description

338740 KING CROSS ROAD

Steeple of former Church of St Paul
23 November 1973 Grade II

1847 by Chantrell. Stone, Gothic tower with clock stage, belfry and broach spire. Former abutment of church to east made good. Churchyard now a public garden. Included as local feature.

Church tower with spire of 1847 by R D Chantrell in stone. The church was described as Gothic in style, and the surviving tower, of stone, is square in plan with stepped angle buttresses, in three stages defined by string courses. The second stage has a clock on the south elevation, and all four sides have triple lancet lights of which the outer two are blind and the inner louvred. Above is a tall broach spire with lucarnes. The east elevation, formerly leading into the church, has the outline of the former nave visible, with a narrow lancet window at first floor level and an arched doorway below.

It is set in garden grounds, formerly a burial ground.

HISTORY: The former church of St Paul at King Cross, Halifax, was built in 1846-7, to serve the growing population of this part of the town to the west of the centre. It was designed by R D Chantrell, a well known architect who designed a number of Commissioners' churches in Yorkshire including Christ Church, Craven (listed Grade II*), and rebuilt the parish church of St Peter in Leeds (listed Grade I). It cost £3330 with an additional £1300 for furnishings and fees.

The church continued in use until the early-C20, when further increases in the population made the building inadequate for requirements, and a new St Paul's was built nearby on Queen's Road and opened in 1912. In 1931 much of the old church was demolished after a partial roof collapse, leaving the spire and graveyard. The burial ground continued in use until 1970 when it was converted to a rest garden in the care of the local authority. The tower and spire were listed at Grade II in 1973.

Reasons for designation
The steeple of the former church of St Paul, King Cross, Halifax, built in 1846-7 and designed by Chantrell is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Architecture: it is a good example of a mid-C19 Commissioners Church, designed by a well known architect, forming a prominent landmark in the area
* Historic interest: the construction of the church and its subsequent replacement by a larger church, leaving only the steeple standing, charts the development of Halifax through the C19 and early-C20

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26426908

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

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  Northumberland (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
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