Former Church Of St Thomas

919/13/69 STATION ROAD 26-APR-76 BRADLEY FORMER CHURCH OF ST THOMAS (Formerly listed as: STATION ROAD BRADLEY CHURCH OF ST THOMAS) (Formerly listed as: STATION ROAD BRADLEY GREENHEAD GYMNASIUM CLUB)

II Parish church of 1863-65 by W.H. Crossland, with added aisle (1879) and porch (1891). Redundant since c1975.

MATERIALS: Coursed dressed sandstone with roof of graded Westmorland slates.

PLAN: Aisled nave with south porch, transeptal south tower, chancel with south vestry and north organ chamber.

EXTERIOR: Free-Decorated style church with steep roof lines, its vigorous and quirky detail characteristic of the architect. The west front has a massive rose window over a double-chamfered west doorway, and double quatrefoil windows to the aisles. The south-west angle is surmounted by a stone cross in a circle (an unusual detail but reminiscent of the work of S.S. Teulon), and at the east end of the nave the apex has 2 turrets with conical caps. Aisles have two 3-light windows. The 3-stage tower has a south-east turret and carries a broach stone spire. It has a 2-light south window in the lower stage, lancet below a round clock face in the middle stage, and 3-light belfry openings with louvres. The chancel has a 5-light east window. The organ chamber has quatrefoil and 2-light windows. The vestry has a quatrefoil east window, triple-light south window and pointed doorway. INTERIOR: Not accessible at the time of visit (June 2009).

PRINCIPAL FIXTURES: Stained glass is retained in most of the windows but in most cases it is clearly damaged.

HISTORY: Built 1863-65 by W.H. Crossland (1823-1909), architect of Leeds. Crossland, who began his career as a pupil of Sir George Gilbert Scott, built several Yorkshire churches in the Decorated style, and also undertook important secular commissions, including Rochdale Town Hall and Holloway College at Egham, Surrey. Bradley was one of his earliest churches. The north aisle was added in 1879, the porch and vestry in 1891. The church was declared redundant c1975 and was briefly converted for used as a gymnasium when, according to the local planning authority, furnishings were removed.

SOURCES: Pevsner, N., The Buildings of England: Yorkshire, The West Riding (1959), 139. Report by Council for the Care of Churches (1975).

REASONS FOR DESIGNATION: The former church of St Thomas, Bradley, is designated at Grade II for the following principal reasons: * It is an 1860s church notable for the vitality of detail typical of the decade, and well represents the style of its architect, W.H. Crossland, a successful regional architect. * The church is carefully sited on sloping ground, with asymmetrical south tower and spire placed so as to maximise the effect of its silhouette.