St. Margaret’s Church c.1906
The church was built in 1905 and dedicated at the 4.15 p.m. Evensong on Thursday, 3rd August, 1905. It was a galvanised corrugated iron structure, lined with wood, supplied by Humphreys Ltd of Knightsbridge, London.
Men of the devoted congregation, who met in the Church Institute/Miners’ Welfare upper storey for services, dug the foundations and the church building itself was erected in 21 days. It consisted of an oblong chancel with an organ chamber and vestry combined and had a small west porch and bell turret with one bell and a small spire. It seated 170 on benches, open seats – no fixed pews.
Up to the late 19th century there was no church in Mickletown.
The conveyance of 1882 made by Philip Yorke Savile (Rector of Methley) to the Ecclesiastical Commission of Land, approx. 2,420 sq. yds. bounded by Main Street and east of Pinfold Lane for a new church to be called St Mary Magdalene and the site for a parsonage and garden. Of this envisaged stone church, only the foundations were laid and they remained in situ until 1982 (when the church was demolished and the site cleared)
A report made by architects in 1902 showed that after excavation of ten trial holes, the foundations of the piers of the nave were found to be defective and were resting on unsuitable, light vegetable soil. The building of the stone church ceased and the church on the photo was erected in 1905, and renamed St. Margaret’s. Note on photo no St. Margaret’s Road houses and the rough state of the land – it had been allotments.
St. Margaret’s Church, 1924-25
A clearer view of the church than the previous photo. The houses of St Margaret’s Road are at the rear – built 1923 – no boundary fence as yet. Can see stone foundations of first envisaged church. Shows west porch, spire and bell turret, north side of church and vestry and organ chamber. St. Margaret’s Church, 1982.
St. Margaret’s Church, 1982
Now there is no bell tower or spire – this was blown down in a gale in 1958-59. The photo shows preservation and good maintenance of fabric. In front the large plot of land is now cultivated as an allotment and kept tidy. The stone foundations of the first planned churchare visible.
At the rear is a new detached house built on the opposite side of Pinfold Lane, as a Police House, approximately in the garden of the former combined Methley Police Station and Police Sergeant’s house, which stood at the bottom of Pinfold Lane on the N. East corner.
Although always carefully maintained and well looked after, the fabric of the church deteriorated and the church was regretfully closed after Easter Day services in 1982 and the congregation merged with St. Oswald’s. After 1948 there had been no separate incumbent for Mickletown.
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