Holy Trinity Church dominates the skyline around Ossett. Rev Paul Maybury looks at the history and current restoration of one of Ossett’s finest buildings.

For 144 years Trinity Church has stood on its present site on Church Street. This building replaced the Parish Church which previously stood in the centre of Ossett.
As many readers will know, Trinity Church is the only grade II* listed building in the town putting it among the top 7% most valuable buildings in the country and the most valuable in Ossett. It was in 2001 that English Heritage placed the church on its “at risk” register due to the quantity of urgent restoration repairs needed.

So, over these past eight years, Trinity Church has worked with English Heritage to attend to these issues. With generous financial support from English Heritage the following work has been completed: Replacement of all roofs, ceilings, gutters, downpipes and drains; repair of stained glass windows; protection of stained glass windows; replastering where needed and various other internal works. During this time a new water supply has been installed, the inside has been redecorated and significant improvements carried out in the churchyard. The church has had to contribute £80,000 to this and to borrow £20,000 to fund the shortfall.

The final phase of restoration is currently in hand and includes repointing of the spire, restoration of the West window, a new electric supply and rewiring . It is planned for this work to be completed this year.

However, having a restored building is quite different from having a usable and sustainable building! Once the restoration is complete the developments begin. The current plans are to maximise the usability of the space by replacing the floor, on one level, throughout the building and installing an eco-friendly, underfloor, ground-source heat pump system. At a stroke this will make the building usable throughout the year. All windows will be double glazed and have full blackout facilities. New lighting throughout will include stage lighting enabling the building to be used for a wide range of performances. New toilets will be installed and the building will be available for use by a wide-range of local and district groups. The plans for this were drawn up in 2007 and have been modified, following consultation with English Heritage and other interested parties.

Trinity Church will soon become more than just a dominant building on the skyline. It will become also a space where, not only people come to acknowledge the presence of God in their lives, but a place where creativity and performance takes place. It will seat the same number of people as it does now but in a variety of configurations. It will have state-of-the-art multi media facilities subtly interwoven with the bold Victorian architecture. It will be a place where the richness of both historical and contemporary experiences co-exist and inform each other.

Trinity Church, a wonderful inheritance, almost restored to its original glory, is set to become a much sought after venue for artistic performance of all kinds with its superb acoustics and quality facilities.

For more information visit www.trinityossett.org.uk

Ossett Civic Trust would like to thank Rev Paul Maybury for supplying this interesting article. Should anyone wish to submit an article for this website then please send it to info@ossettcivictrust.co.uk