Church Of St Mary Magdalene

The Church of St Mary Magdalene was built between 1876 and 1878, with alterations made around the 1980s, designed by E. Pearson Peterson. The church is constructed of sandstone, cut into small, narrow blocks similar in width to bricks, and has a slate roof. It is built in a fairly severe early Gothic style. The plan includes a nave and chancel of equal width, with single-story aisles throughout, and a belfry at the west end. Two entrances into the aisles are located at the west end. A wooden crucifix, designed by Philip Robinson and serving as a First World War memorial, is situated centrally between buttresses which rise to the top of the aisle roofs. There are two two-light lancet windows above the memorial, and a circular window in the roof space. A tall bell tower with a pyramid roof and narrow, stepped slit windows is located above, extending from the main roof area.

The south side has a windowless aisle with six two-light lancet clerestory windows, one at each end. A narrow projecting string course runs near the top of the windows, extending around all but the east end of the building. The east end is also windowless, except for small slit windows similar to those in the roof space at the west end, with a central stepped buttress. The north side mirrors the south, featuring a chimney at the northeast corner and a gable projection near the east end.

Inside, the nave is open to the aisles via wide pointed arches resting on plain columns, each positioned centrally below a clerestory window. The stone walls are exposed, and the roof features an idiosyncratic timber construction. A tie beam at the east end of the nave is heavily carved and topped with a large crucifixion scene flanked by two figures, said to have been carved in Oberammergau. The organ, built by William Hill and installed in 1878, is located on the left side of the chancel and remains unaltered. A Te Deum painting was completed in 1889 by Messrs Powell of Leeds and is situated on the east wall behind the high altar. The north aisle at the west end functions as a vestibule. A meeting room was inserted in the 1980s, between the first two arches, and incorporates a vaulted roof and an arched stone and wooden entranceway facing into the nave. A kitchen and lavatories extend into the south aisle.

The church emerged from a mission in a predominantly poor area of Bradford. The architect was a brother-in-law of the vicar of a neighboring church, and the design was influenced by site constraints. The church was built to the edges of its plot, and due to lacking rights of light over surrounding properties, it features high clerestory windows to compensate for the lack of ground-floor windows, giving the church an elongated appearance. The east end is windowless because the church backs onto a nearby factory, owned by Methodists who did not want their employees distracted. The church was scheduled to close in July 2004. It represents a well-preserved example of a high-quality Gothic Revival church.