About All Souls' Church, Leeds

All Souls Church

was built by public subscription in one of the
poorest districts of Leeds, the Leylands, as a memorial to Dr W. F. Hook, Vicar of Leeds for some 22 years and later Dean of Chichester. The design is simple and impressive in scale: 134ft in length with aisles both to the nave and chancel, a southwest porch and a baptistery under the northwest tower.

It was designed by

Sir George Gilbert Scott

[right],"to stem the tide of spiritual destitution" in the area, and is the last church he designed before his death in 1878: his son, John Oldrid Scott, took over the supervision of the building. The foundation stone was laid in September 1876; the church was consecrated on the 29th of January 1880.

Southowram stone with Meanwood dressings was used for the exterior, Harehills stone for the interior. The column supports for the nave arcades are of Park Spring stone. The interior walls are of ashlar stonework.

The stained glass windows

in the aisles were made by Clayton and Bell, and form a complete matching series. Clayton and Bell also made the East Window; the West Window is by C.E. Kempe.

The Reredos

behind the High Altar was designed by John Oldrid Scott, a gift from Dr Hook's family. The paintings in the arcading either side of the High Altar are by C. E. Kempe.

The organ

was built by Isaac Abbott , whose workshop was on Blackman Lane, in 1881, and re-built by Abbott and Smith in 1938. The organ case, dating 1893, features carved angels, ornate tracery and carved inscription in Latin.

The pulpit

was designed by Gilbert Scott, in Caen stone with black marble shafts.

The Font

was designed by John Oldrid Scott in Frosterley marble and was presented in 1891. The wooden canopy was designed by R.J. Johnson of Newcastle, the architect of St Aidan's Church in Harehills. The figure of Saint John the Evangelist was carved by Mayer of Obergammerau. The doors were painted by Susan Emily Ford, showing faces of real people of the day, including the first vicar, the Rev. Cecil Hook.

Members of All Souls are working on an

All Souls’ Guidebook and leaflet

for visitors. They hope to have them ready for the 2010 ‘Treasures Revealed’ week.