Former Holy Trinity Church

Details

679/18/304 HARRISON ROAD 03-NOV-54 FORMER HOLY TRINITY CHURCH (Formerly listed as: HARRISON ROAD HOLY TRINITY CHURCH)

II DATES OF MAIN PHASES, NAME OF ARCHITECT: Former parish church of 1795-98 by T. Johnson, redundant since 1980 and converted to offices.

MATERIALS: Ashlar sandstone with hipped slate roof.

PLAN: A double-height rectangular church with south tower and shallow projections in east and west walls, of which the east was the chancel, around which was a 3-sided gallery.

EXTERIOR: Neo-classical style church with moulded eaves cornice and low parapet concealing the roof, each elevation of 3 bays. The main east front has a central bay brought forward under a pediment, which has a high rusticated plinth incorporating a lunette with radial glazing bars. The tripartite east window is recessed between 2 unfluted Ionic columns in antis, and the window itself has Ionic colonnettes. Above the main window is a lunette. Outer bays have rusticated quoins, and rusticated architraves to panel doors. Upper windows are in pedimented architraves and are flanked by pairs of Ionic pilasters. Above them are short plain windows. In the south front the tower occupies the central bay. It has a rusticated round-headed doorway, and margin-lit small-pane sash window above in an aedicule. Side walls have round-headed niches. Above is a sunk panel, then an oculus, and an octagonal upper stage with keyed round-headed windows in aedicules. Above them are lunettes and then a low leaded dome with ball finial and cross. In the south elevation the right-hand bay has a rusticated architrave to a small-pane sash window and on the left side a similar architrave has been re-set into a low projection. Panelled round-headed recesses above have lunettes with modern glazing bars. The west side is simpler than the east but has a corresponding central bay under a pediment. It has a rusticated architrave to a central window, above which is a recessed arched panel incorporating a lunette with modern glazing. Outer bays have plain windows with modern glazing. The north front has rusticated architraves to lower windows, and an upper tier of lunettes at the head of arched panels.

INTERIOR: Not accessible at the time of visit (June 2009). Assumed to be considerably altered.

PRINCIPAL FIXTURES: Windows in the east and north elevations retain C19 stained glass.

HISTORY: Town parish church of 1795-98 by Thomas Johnson (d1814), architect of Leeds. Johnson was responsible for several church and country-house commissions in Yorkshire, and built the Leeds Library in 1808. Holy Trinity church was declared redundant in 1980 and has been converted to offices.

SOURCES: Pevsner, N., The Buildings of England: Yorkshire, West Riding (1967), 231 & 627.

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: Former Church of the Holy Trinity, Harrison Road, Halifax, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * The church has an elegant classical design to its main elevations, and is of special interest as the first of the new churches built to serve the growing industrial town, and its near-square proportions with minimal chancel reflect the low-church requirements of its time. * The building makes an important contribution to the historical integrity of the town centre.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

338714

Legacy System:

LBS

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