Chapel Allerton-Town Street Walk

sazzle · Post by **sazzle** » Wed 29 Apr, 2009 2:08 pm

Apologies if this has been covered before, I've done a search and can't find anything although may have missed it.When I walk to King George Avenue from the Old Police Station in Chapel Allerton I cut through Town Street Walk. This cuts between some brown houses which are located between the graveyard and Woodland Drive, oppposite the Nags Head pub. The other end of Town Street Walk is at the top of Church Lane.I always thought that the church stood on this site, (based on the fact the graveyard is there and Church Lane) but from photos I have seen the church stood where HSBC now stands. I now wonder what was there before the 'brown houses' were built? Does anybody know?Also does anybody know if Gledhow Lane always ended where it does now, at Gledhow Lane End which is at the end of Town Street Walk? Or did Gledhow Lane continue, perhaps to Church Lane? ThanksSarah

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Wed 29 Apr, 2009 9:06 pm

I can't be totally accurate from memory alone - but I think you're confusing 2 separate buildings. The graveyard belonged to a church ( the original St Matthew's , before the current one was built.) that was demolished in the 1930s and was situated on Church lane. The church you refer to as being where HSBC is (it was actually further up Chapeltown Road - where the newer shops are) was a Wesleyan Methodist chapel/church demolished in the 1970s. I believe the Junction of Town Street /Church Lane has altered - possibly in the 1960s. The chapel-like building opposite the Nag's Head at the end of town street was originally a sunday school for the Wesleyan church.When I first went to Chapeltown Primary School (now called Chapel Allerton School) we had our school dinners in this building believe it or not!The picture shows the Wesleyan church on Harrogate rd c 1900 - the building at extreme right is still there, with what is now HSBC out of shot further right. There's a good explanation of the situation regarding St Matthew's churches and a picture of the old vicarage (Ivy House - which survives) herehttp://www.leodis.org/display.aspx?resourceIde ... 113_167865

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Wed 29 Apr, 2009 9:40 pm

This is a Leodis pic of the original St Matthew's from Church Lane in 1911.I daresay if you were to walk along Church lane you could identify the exact spot the photo was taken from by studying the wall. If you search for 'St Matthew's' on leodis you can find several more pictures - (including some of the interior) but this is probably the best for showing the Church in context with Church Lane.

Post by **cnosni** » Thu 30 Apr, 2009 12:26 pm

drapesy wrote: This is a Leodis pic of the original St Matthew's from Church Lane in 1911.I daresay if you were to walk along Church lane you could identify the exact spot the photo was taken from by studying the wall. If you search for 'St Matthew's' on leodis you can find several more pictures - (including some of the interior) but this is probably the best for showing the Church in context with Church Lane. Late 18th/early 19th century by the looks of things.Wonder what the original chapel was like,it would probably have been on the same site

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Sun 03 May, 2009 10:49 pm

You still out there Sazzle????

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Tue 26 May, 2009 11:22 pm

obviously not.....

sazzle · Post by **sazzle** » Sat 23 Jan, 2010 4:13 pm

thanks for the info re the old St Matthews church, so sorry taken me so long to say thankyou. I've not logged on here for ages and was just walking through the graveyard today and remembered the link I'd started on here so long ago. Will have to go back now and see if I can find the spot the photo you posted was taken from. thanks again.

drapesy · Post by **drapesy** » Sat 23 Jan, 2010 9:06 pm

Hey whats 8 months between friends ?

sazzle · Post by **sazzle** » Tue 26 Jan, 2010 10:40 pm

Just to report back, I had a good look around the graveyard on Church Lane, Chapel Allerton, and having seen the photo above I located some foundations of the old St Matthews Church. I was a little confused at first as it appeared that there were gravestones inside where the church had stood, but I think perhaps these would have been placed there after the demolition of the church. I also borrowed some books about local history from Chapel Allerton library and it seems a chapel had stood on the site from the first past of the 13th Century and was linked to Kirkstall Abbey. Old maps of the area show the 'Chapel'-the earliest map I've seen it on is dated 1767. I imagine the chapel was rebuilt/enlarged over the years, becoming St Matthews church until the new church was built. The old church was demolished in 1935. I'm glad the churchyard is still there as it really is a link with the origins of Chapel Allerton (or Chapeltown as it was known then, presumably due to the chapel). A lot of local people seem to enjoy spending time in the graveyard which is great, there's a lot of wild birds and the volunteers who spend time maintaining it deserve everyone's thanks.

Post by **tyke bhoy** » Wed 27 Jan, 2010 10:14 am

The word “linked” in conjunction with “Kirkstall Abbey” is not a good idea on this site lest we start off another tunnel theory