St Peter's Church, Huddersfield

{{Infobox church

| name = St Peter's Church

| fullname = Huddersfield Parish Church

| image = The church of St Peter - Kirkgate - geograph.org.uk - 351683.jpg

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| coordinates = {{coord|53.6472|-1.7809|region:GB_type:landmar}}

| osgridref = {{gbmappingsmall|SE1457816771}}

| location = Huddersfield, Kirklees

| country = England

| denomination = Anglican

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| churchmanship = Anglo-CatholicBlagdon-Gamlen, P. E. (1973) The Church Travellers Directory. London: Church Literature Association; p. 74

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| website = {{url|http://huddersfieldparishchurch.org/|Church website}}

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| status = Parish church

| functional status = Active

| heritage designation = Grade II*

| designated date = 3 March 1952[http://www.britishlistedbuildings.co.uk/en-340086-parish-church-of-st-peter- Parish Church of St Peter, Huddersfield] from British listed buildings, retrieved 6 March 2015

| architect = James Pigott Pritchett

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| style = Gothic revival

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| completed date = 27 October 1836

| construction cost = £10,000

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| deanery = Huddersfield[http://www.leeds.anglican.org/content/maps-and-information-about-deaneries-and-parishes Deaneries] at Diocese of Leeds, accessed 13 July 2016

| archdeaconry = Archdeaconry of Halifax

| episcopalarea = Huddersfield Episcopal Area

| diocese = Diocese of Leeds

| province = Province of York

| bishop =

| vicar = The Revd Canon Rachel Firth

| deacon = The Revd Carol Hawkins

| warden = Diane Groom
Verity Quarmby

| parishadmin = Angela Braviner

| treasurer = Dessyline Jabangwe

| organist = Stephen Smith

| director = Richard Quarmby

}}

St Peter's Church, also known as Huddersfield Parish Church, is a Church of England parish church in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England. There has been a church on the site since the 11th century, but the current building dates from 1836. It is on the Kirkgate near Southgate in the centre of the town and is a Grade II* listed building.[http://www.examiner.co.uk/lifestyle/nostalgia-gallery---glimpse-inside-4943568 Nostalgia: With gallery - A glimpse inside Huddersfield Parish Church St Peter’s history] from Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 19 September 2012, retrieved 6 March 2015

History

In legend, the first church on the site was built in the 11th century by Walter de Lacy, the second son of Ilbert de Lacy. Walter decided to build the church after he survived being thrown from his horse and landing in a swamp.

The church was rebuilt in the 16th century. From 1759 to 1771, Henry Venn was vicar of the church.

By the early 19th century, the town of Huddersfield was growing rapidly as a result of the industrial revolution and the parish church was too small to cope. In order to address this, Holy Trinity Church was opened in 1819 as a chapel of ease within the parish of St Peter's, before becoming a parish church in its own right in 1857.{{cite web |url=http://www.holytrinityhuddersfield.com/who-we-are/history/ |title=History |publisher=Holy Trinity Huddersfield |access-date=16 August 2017 |archive-date=16 August 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816121342/http://www.holytrinityhuddersfield.com/who-we-are/history/}}

By the 1830s the 16th-century parish church needed urgent repairs, and it was decided to rebuild it again. The architect was James Pigott Pritchett and construction was carried out from 1834 to 1836. To keep costs down during construction, the bricks used were from the previous church on the site, which meant that repairs were needed overcome the deficient materials.{{cite web |url=http://www.huddersfieldhistory.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/the-buildings-of-huddersfield-reprint-2009-sources1.pdf |title=Buildings of Huddersfield |publisher=Huddersfield History Society |first1=Keith |last1=Gibson |first2=Albert |last2=Booth |accessdate=7 March 2015}}

Two octagonal vestries were added at the east end: one on the north side in or before 1851, and a choir vestry on the south side in 1879. Windows designed by Thomas Willement were installed in 1852. In 1866, it was realised that the stonework of the church needed repairing. In 1873, new pews and a pulpit were installed. In 1879, a choir vestry was added. Arthur Eaglefield Hull was the organist from 1904 to 1920.[http://www.huddersfield-music-society.org.uk/local-artistes-at-hms.html Huddersfield Music Society website] In 1908 an organ was installed by local builder Conacher and Co; it was restored in 1984 by Philip Wood of Huddersfield.{{cite web |url=https://huddersfieldparishchurch.org/our-building/history/ |title=Our Building: History |date=13 May 2010 |publisher=Huddersfield Parish Church |accessdate=16 April 2017}}

From 1921 to 1923, the sanctuary was reordered. A baldachin and the east window, designed by Ninian Comper as part of a war memorial, were installed. In the 1940s, the south transept was redesigned with a screen by Robert Thompson being added. In the 1980s, a new altar and dais were installed. Around 2012, the roof, ceiling and tower were repaired. Other essential repairs were also made, helped by a grant from English Heritage.[http://www.examiner.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire-news/big-grant-huddersfield-parish-church-4956952 Big grant for Huddersfield Parish Church] from Huddersfield Daily Examiner, 20 March 2012, retrieved 7 March 2015[http://risk.english-heritage.org.uk/register.aspx?id=16742&rt=1&pn=96&st=a&ctype=all&crit=church Church of St Peter, Kirkgate, Huddersfield - Kirklees] from English Heritage, retrieved 7 March 2015

On 17 June 1965 the church was the wedding place of Olympic athletes, swimmer Anita Lonsbrough and track cyclist Hugh Porter.{{cite web|url=https://www.expressandstar.com/news/2015/06/18/fifty-years-for-wolverhamptons-golden-couple/|title=Fifty years for Wolverhampton's golden couple|website=www.expressandstar.com|date=18 June 2015 }}Report of Golden Wedding when couple had relocated to Wolverhampton. On 17 February 2017, the church was the location of the funeral of Gorden Kaye, the Huddersfield-born television actor and star of 'Allo 'Allo!.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-39005901|title=Gorden Kaye: Funeral of 'Allo 'Allo! star held in Huddersfield|date=17 February 2017|newspaper=BBC News|access-date=17 February 2017}}

Parish

On weekdays, the church is open from 9:00am until 4:00pm and on Saturdays from 10:00am to 2:00pm. There is a short service of daily prayer said on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday at 12:35pm. Midweek Holy Communion is celebrated on Wednesdays at 12:35 in the side chapel.

On Sundays, there is a Book of Common Prayer communion service at 8:30am, and a Sung Eucharist at 10:00am.

Choral Evensong is held every second Sunday at 6:30pm during term time. Every fourth Sunday at 6.30pm there is alternately 'Holy Ground' which takes the form of a more informal and contemplative service or 'Rainbow Eucharist', a service designed to explicitly affirm and uphold the LGBTQIA+ community, as part of the Inclusive Church network.

The 10am Sung Eucharist, Choral Evensong, Rainbow Eucharist, and some special services are also livestreamed on the Parish Church YouTube channel{{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/@huddersfieldparishchurch996 | title=Huddersfield Parish Church | website=YouTube }} [http://www.achurchnearyou.com/huddersfield-st-peter/ Huddersfield - St Peter] from A Church Near You, retrieved 7 March 2015