Church Of The Epiphany

LEEDS

SE33NW BEECH LANE, Gipton 714-1/7/694 (North West side) 25/06/93 Church of the Epiphany (Formerly Listed as: BEECH LANE, Gipton The Epiphany)

I

Also known as: The Bishop Burroughs Memorial Church of the Epiphany BEECH LANE Gipton. Anglican parish church. 1936-38, altered 1976. Designed by NF Cachemaille Day and built by Armitage Hodgson of Leeds. Reinforced concrete with brick cladding and plain tile roof. PLAN: nave and chancel under a single roof with square transepts, curved east end and projecting eastern lady chapel also with curved east end. EXTERIOR: chamfered concrete plinth, concrete floor bands and raised coped parapets. West gable end has single-storey projecting porches to north and south, each with double 10-panel doors and chamfered surrounds with concrete hoods. Gable has 2 tall buttresses to centre with window between, linked by a brick cross to flanking bell openings. Nave: 3 pairs of tall rectangular windows , transepts have 4 similar windows. Lady Chapel: 3 tall rectangular windows to each side, 9 similar windows to apse, below smaller windows. INTERIOR: stepped flat concrete ceilings supported on tall plain circular columns. Columns form a continuous curved arcade. Raised circular altar space, raised choir stalls on either side behind 2nd row of tall circular columns. HISTORICAL NOTE: the Gipton estate was one of the first 'garden' estates in the north of England, city centre slum clearance taking place during the 1930s. A temporary church was built in 1936; Cachemaille-Day's plans were inspired by the new church at Coutances and an uncluttered open space was the main consideration, pews rather than chairs, short side altar rails, an 8-foot screen wall separating the high altar from the Lady Chapel, originally intended to be dedicated to St Edmund. A small pulpit wound round one of the columns but was replaced by a larger which was later removed. A tall bell-tower over the Beech Lane entrance was too costly and a steel and masonry spire surmounted by a star was erected over the E gable, this had to be dismantled in 1976. The foundation stone was laid 12 July 1938 by Elsie Burroughs, sister of the late Bishop of Ripon, and the consecration took place on 14 May 1938 in the presence of the Princess Royal.

Early structural problems included roof panels coming loose because the fixing nails were too short and of iron instead of copper, and the wooden floor tiles rose. Acoustical problems were known as 'the Epiphany echo'. Furniture was given by other churches, including the font from St Paulinus', now with a tall cover which is a replica of the lost spire, given by the Mothers' Union.

Listing NGR: SE3356435306