The large and lively town centre congregation of All Saint’s Ilkley is on the move. From the beginning of November until next summer, 2019, services will be taking place at a nearby community centre to allow work to start on a £1.3 million redevelopment project.
Earlier this year the church was awarded £543,700 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for its plans to tell the stories of the historic parish Church, from its Saxon Crosses and Roman fort through to medieval, Victorian and 20th Century developments. Generous giving from the congregation has doubled this amount and now work on the project can begin. In August Carry Lynott (pictured below) was appointed as Heritage Manager to develop a wide range of resources.
In addition to the heritage development, the building work will give a more flexible space in the church with improved access, not only for worship and weddings but also for community activities, concerts, exhibitions, performances, conferences and meetings.
New level floors and heating, flexible seating to replace fixed pews, improved lighting, and an accessible toilet are part of the plans with a new Link Building between the Church and the meeting rooms in Church House providing a light and airy welcome and meeting space and increased safety for children and vulnerable adults.
Ilkley-based Dobson Construction has been appointed as the main contractor. David Dobson said “In 1981, Dobsons replaced the finials to the Church Bell Tower. Nearly Four decades later we are proud as a local employer to work with the church on this major historical landmark. The proposed changes are quite visionary. We take this as a unique opportunity for our continued support for the local community. We are pleased to provide our “home grown” construction skills to enable the Church to continue to serve the needs of the congregation and community for the decades and centuries beyond.”
The final Sunday in All Saints before work was began Sunday 4 November. Pictured right, Nathan Woolloff who at the end of the final hymn, unscrewed the brass fitting from one of the pews as a symbolic start to the work.
The Revd Mike Coe said, “This is an exciting time for All Saints and we’re looking forward to moving back into the renovated church building when the work is completed. However, between then and now, the church will still be very active in the community. Everyone is welcome to join us as we meet at the Clarke Foley Centre. Our Sunday services are at 8am, 9.15am and 11am.”
Derek Twine, project leader, says, “The aim of the project is to create a light, welcoming and attractive building which is fully accessible and which can be used by the community for a wide range of purposes.
“Exciting interactive displays, guided walks and digital media will interpret more than 2,000 years of history. This will enhance llkley's offer to visitors to the town.”
All Saints llkley, in the Bradford Episcopal Area, is one of the most historic places in the region, standing on the site of the former Roman Fort of Olicana, a Scheduled Ancient Monument founded in 80 AD. When the fort was abandoned, Anglo-Saxon settlers re-used the stone to build the first Church on the site- an early example of recycling building materials.
The exciting associated heritage plan will imaginatively tell and interpret the story of the church and the people of Ilkley from the times of the Roman Fort and the Anglo-Saxons, through the life of the medieval and Victorian eras, right up to the current 21st-Century renovations. This includes working with artists and writers, architects and designers, as well as new volunteer roles.
New resources are being prepared, including digital experiences as well as written and audio material. There will be a wide range of activities for the community including a “memories project”, and opportunities for all ages to engage with the living heritage of our community and our church.