Leeds Minster

Consecrated in 1841 (with Florence Nightingale in the congregation), the gothic revival style Leeds parish church was the largest church to be built in England since St Paul’s Cathedral. Built on the same footprint as the previous Medieval church, it was probably the fourth church on the site. Christian worship had been offered here since Anglo-Saxon times, when Leeds was a small village and no-one could have imagined the industrial and commercial centre it was to become. Taking us back to these early times is the impressive 10th century Anglo-Scandinavian ‘Leeds Cross’, with its mix of Christian and pagan images. The stones forming the cross emerged when the Medieval church was taken down and resided initially in the architect’s garden, before being restored to Leeds after his death.

The vicar in 1841, Dr Walter Farquhar Hook, had come to a town in the grip of industrialisation and the area around the church was busy, smoky and very unhealthy, with high levels of deprivation. Hook was an energetic and charismatic figure, whose likeness appears in a painting and a stone effigy within the building. People thronged to the church to hear him preach and to engage in the forms of worship he had introduced. Hook wanted the new church to be a place of welcome and care for all, where dignified and uplifting worship could take place, in beautiful surroundings. Church members and visitors alike have been awed by its beauty ever since.

On a visit to this Grade I listed church, alongside incredible wood-carving, you will also see: stunning Salviati mosaics; the Hardwick Monument, a rare example of an Elizabethan table-tomb; very many beautiful stained glass windows and a contemporary etched glass window, depicting the story of Jacob’s Ladder. Numerous memorials introduce significant Leeds residents who worshipped here. The lovely Penny Window also memorialises those who were not famous but made their contribution to the building and the life of the church.

The parish church of St Peter was designated a Minster in 2012. It has an active and growing congregation and we will be delighted to welcome you.