Biplane Chapel?

munki · Post by **munki** » Mon 12 Feb, 2007 2:06 pm

Does anyone know what this building used to be? In shape it looks like it was once a chapel, but the stained glass window over the door is of a biplane.

OldBoy · Post by **OldBoy** » Tue 20 Feb, 2007 8:20 pm

I always thought it was a chapel, haven't noticed the bi-plane. Possibly, as it is such a small building, it could be related to someone in its dedication... just a possibility.

rikj · Post by **rikj** » Tue 20 Feb, 2007 10:55 pm

It's marked on old maps (circa 1906) as a school, but I'd also assumed it had been a chapel. A lot of sunday schools in Leeds did look like chapels though.I photographed a few "re-cycled" chapels last year i.e. those no longer used for worship. On blowing up the pic of this one it says over the door that it was erected in 1865. In other words quite a number of years before biplanes got off the ground!Doesn't answer the question of why the plane is there though.

munki · Post by **munki** » Thu 22 Feb, 2007 8:16 am

Found this on www.leodis.net. The building is listed as Saint Augustine's National School, & still, in this picture, hasn't been rendered & whitewashed.The pic is dated 6th June 1913 (very specific) - by which time Biplanes might have been invented (my knowledge of aviation history is almost nil).The pic on Leodis is accompanied by a great dead budgie / dead neighbour story.

1/4 · Post by **1/4** » Thu 22 Feb, 2007 1:38 pm

I am pretty sure it was a chapel before it was refurbished into flats in 2001. The biplane would indicate RAF connections from WW1 or a dedication from a flying club I would guess. Biplane certainly would have existed in 1913 but would have been rare. It was not until well into the war that planes really emerged

munki · Post by **munki** » Fri 16 Mar, 2007 7:45 am

See above - it was definitely a school in 1913!