About Us

Here are a few notes about our Church: The Parish of St Aidan, Skelmanthorpe, is approximately seven miles SE of Huddersfield, at the centre of the "Huddersfield- Wakefield-Barnsley triangle"! in the County of West Yorkshire, part of the North of the United Kingdom (UK). St Aidan's church building may be found on OS maps at British National Grid Reference SK229105 St Aidan was the 7th Century AD bishop of Northumbria. His base was on the Holy Island of Lindisfarne. St Aidan was renowned for his loving compassion. The parish church, designed by G F Bodley, began to be built in 1894 and was consecrated in 1895 (even though it was not finished - see, from the outside, the 'temporary' south brick wall). George Frederick Bodley (1827-1907) mainly designed churches in the Gothic style. He was the first pupil of George Gilbert Scott, and later a partner of Thomas Garner, for many years. He was a friend of the Pre-Raphaelites and William Morris, and his own most important pupil was the Arts and Crafts designer C R Ashbee. By the early 1860s Bodley had adopted the English Decorated style almost exclusively in his designs. Church Features: In the church is a late Anglo-saxon (early Norman) Font sculpted about 1080 AD. This came from the original church at High Hoyland, and then was used as a cattle trough until rescued for our parish. Above the High Altar (still used Sunday by Sunday in the eastward position) is a beautiful mid-20th century reredos: depicting Christ enthroned in majesty, with St Aidan and his friend St Oswald of Northumbria. The Paschal (ie, Easter) candle in which is pushed five incense grains (in small nails) to represent the five wounds of Christ on the cross; from which Baptism candidates are given a lit candle to represent Christ as light of the world. The 18th Century pulpit at the front of the nave (where congregation gather at the main services) from which sermons are sometimes preached. In the nave you will also find a Lectern from which the Bible is read, and a Memorial Book of the Dead.