St Silas Church, Sheffield Explained

St Silas Church
Pushpin Map:Sheffield
Map Caption:Location in Sheffield
Coordinates:53.3758°N -1.4831°W
Location:Broomhall, Sheffield
Country:United Kingdom
Denomination:Church of England
Religious Order:-->
Former Names:-->
Status:Disused
Founded Date:1867
Heritage Designation:Grade II listed
Architect:John Brightmore Mitchell-Withers
Style:Victorian Gothic
Closed Date:2000
Bells Hung:-->

St Silas Church is a former church built in 1867 in Broomhall, Sheffield, England. It was under the administration of the Diocese of Sheffield from its creation in 1914 until the closure of the church in 2000.

History

St Silas Church, named after Saint Silas, was built in 1867.[1] The first vicar of the church was Charles Sisum Wright.[2] It was consecrated for use as a church in 1869.[3]

The building was designated a Grade II listed structure on 28 July 1973.

On 1 December 2000, the church was closed after 133 years of continuous operation.[4]

The YMCA acquired ownership of the Church in 2006 with the intention of converting it into a local medical centre and offices with the adjacent vicarage to be used as a car park.[5] However, this plan never came to fruition.

In 2014, Claypenny Properties received permission from the Bishop of Sheffield to convert a portion of the building into student accommodation flats.[6]

Architecture

The church was built in the Victorian era in a Gothic revival style of masonry which was a popular architectural movement at the time.[7]

A large four-panelled stained glass window on the northern facade of the church tower depicts four stories from the Bible and three archangels.[8] There are several other stained glass windows around the church which are in-keeping with the Pre-Raphaelite style of the main one.[9]

A plaque in memorial of those who died in the First World War and the original altar are among the objects which remain in the church at present.[10]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Bid to keep memories of church alive. The Star. 22 July 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20180101135311/https://www.thestar.co.uk/retro/bid-to-keep-memories-of-church-alive-1-6077208. 1 January 2018. live.
  2. Book: Bell. Pauline. Sheffield Six at Home in Hillsborough, Loxley and Wadsley. 22 May 2014. 9781291569049. 31.
  3. News: The Consecration of St Silas Church, Broomhall. 6 February 1869. Sheffield Independent Newspaper. 17336770.
  4. Web site: Gilcar (Sheffield) St Silas Parish Records. The National Archives. 22 July 2017.
  5. Web site: The Future of St Silas Church, Broomhall. St Andrew's United Reform Church. 22 July 2017.
  6. Web site: St Silas Flats. Claypenny Properties. 22 July 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171105140918/http://claypenny.co.uk/all-properties/st-silas-flat-4-sheffield/. 5 November 2017. live.
  7. Web site: Church of St Silas. British Listed Buildings. 22 July 2017.
  8. Web site: The Stained Glass Windows in St Silas Church, Broomhall. Our Broomhall. 22 July 2017.
  9. Web site: St Silas Church Window Designs. Our Broomhall. 22 July 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20160609032557/http://www.ourbroomhall.org.uk/content/explore/places/religious_buildings/st_silas_church/st-silas-church-window-designs. 9 June 2016. live.
  10. Web site: St Silas Broomhall. Sheffield Soldiers of the Great War. 22 July 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20160827051538/http://sheffieldsoldierww1.co.uk/Memorial/St%20Silas.html. 27 August 2016. live.