SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

The attached photo of St Mathews shows that there is a missing statue on the front of the Church. Does anyone know what it was and when it was removed

The tower of the church is unusual as well being alongside the church

The entrance to the church. I would imagine that originally it was gated

The architect for the church was G F Bodley and it was built in 1897

St Matthew's was indeed gated and there were railings on the low walls round the grass. These were removed during WW11 and I imagine are languishing in a warehouse somewhere as the majority of the railings removed for the war effort were not put to any practical use.I do not know if there was ever a statue in that niche. The one of St Matthew over the door was put in after the church was completed.St Matthew's Church will be open during TReasures Revealed week -5 and 7 May. The church will be open 10 am to 12 noon and again 3 pm to 5 pm on 5 May and 11 to 3 pm on 7 May. There will be refreshments available and there is a book about the church on sale. Other churches are open between 5 and 13 May, look out for purple leaflets in libraries, Tourist Info etc.

[quotenick="Beefish"]St Matthew's was indeed gated and there were railings on the low walls round the grass. These were removed during WW11 and I imagine are languishing in a warehouse somewhere as the majority of the railings removed for the war effort were not put to any practical use.That's an interesting point Beefish. I'd heard that a lot of the scrap metal drives during the war were done for a morale boost more than for salvaging scrap - I think I read this on one of the information boards at the Eden Camp museum, but I could be wrong.Does anyone know if this is the case? It's always weird to see the stumps of cut-down railings around churches even now, 60 years on.

I've asked some older people who know about St Matthew's and apparently there was never a statue in the empty niche. The statue above the door is later than I thought - it dates from 1965. The towere being separate from the church was influenced by Italian churches which sometimes have separate bell towers. Apparently 2007 is the 100th anniversary of GF Godley's death and the Victorian society is making a big thing of visiting Godley churches about which they know loads.