St Michael and All Angels Church, Headingley


Headingley Parish Church or the Parish Church of St Michael and All Angels in Headingley, a suburban area of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England is a large Victorian Church of England parish church in the centre of the parish on Otley Road.

History

The parish of Headingley was carved out of the once very large parish of Leeds, which at the time also included the districts of Armley, Beeston, Bramley and Hunslet. The first church on the site was built on land given in about 1620 by John Savile. This church remained in place for 210 years and could hold 200 congregants.
The Industrial Revolution brought population booms to northern England and the population of Headingley increased to 2,000 warranting the creation of a vicarcy in 1849 and the building of a larger, 600-seater, church in 1838.
However, this church was not to last. Further increases in population meant that a new church was needed. Today's church is the third on the site and was consecrated in 1886.
With the growth in the local population a new parish of Far Headingley was created, and St Chad's Church, Far Headingley was built in 1868. The two churches work together, for example by holding early Sunday morning communion services alternately, and both participate in Churches Together in Headingley.

Building and associated buildings

The church was designed by J L Pearson, architect of Truro Cathedral. It was built from 1884 to 1886, and the north porch was added and the spire completed in 1890. It is built of gritstone with a tiled roof, and is Grade II* listed. The church wall and gate piers are Grade II listed.
The Parish Hall was built in 1834 or 1844 as the Headingley National School, and is Grade II listed, as is the former Parochial Institute in Bennett Road, built in 1877 by George Corson and now used as offices.

Services

Worship at the Church is in the liberal catholic tradition of the Church of England, with two of the four Sunday services being sung by the church's choir.
Sunday
Monday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
PeriodVicar of Headingley
In 1632Robert Dobson
In 1641 & 1642John Greenwood
In 1650? Barratt
In 1657? Bates
1662–William Robinson
–1675Richard Crashaw
1675–1676John Briggs
1676–1711Joseph Eammonson
1711–1713John Benson
1713–1730John Claphamson
1730–1732John Murgatroyd
1732–1746Samuel Dodgson
1746–1764John Moore
1764–1769Samuel Disney
1769–1782William Lupton
1782Jonathan Colton
1782–1836John Smithson
1836–1863William Williamson
1863–1865William Fox Whitbread Torre
1865–1881Henry Tuckwell
1881–1913Frederick John Wood
1913–1918George Arthur Hollis
1918–1933Richard Henry Malden
1933–1956Rowland John Wood
1956–Ralph Emmerson
–1981Christopher Luxmore
1981–1991Owen Arnott Conway
1991–Michael Cross
PeriodPriest in Charge
–2011David William Peat
2012–2014Michael Anthony Whatmough
PeriodTeam Rector
2014 –Michael Anthony Whatmough