About St Matthew's Church

Welcome:



My name is Kathryn Buck and I am the Vicar of St Matthew's, Lightcliffe, and St Chad's, Hove Edge. As Christians, we try to follow Christ in our daily lives, not always getting it right, but wanting to share God's love with those around us. There is a variety of types of worship available and groups for you to join. If you wish to know more about anything mentioned on this website, please do ​contact us.

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Our History:



A formal church worship according to the Anglican tradition began in Lightcliffe in the year 1529.   A chapel was built, one of the twelve outlying centres within the ancient parish of Halifax, at one time the largest parish in the country, and a curate was appointed.   The chapel was called Eastfield because it was close to a field of that name. This remained the only place of worship in the village until 1775, when the first chapel was demolished and a new and bigger Lightcliffe Chapel was erected, of which the tower is now the only part  still remaining.  

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At some point in the 350 years from 1529 the church was dedicated to St. Matthew the Apostle, though no records remain of the exact date.   In 1846 Lightcliffe ceased to be a part of the parish of Halifax and became a parish in its own right, including within its boundaries Hipperholme, Norwood Green and Bailiff Bridge.

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In the early 1870's Major Johnston Jonas Foster of Cliffe Hill offered to build and pay for a new church at Lightcliffe and the foundation stone was laid on Tuesday, September 16th, 1873. The Church was consecrated by the Bishop of Ripon, in whose diocese Lightcliffe was then situated, on September 21st, 1875.

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On September 21st, 1875, only two years after the laying of the foundation stone, the new parish church of Lightcliffe was consecrated by the Bishop of Ripon, in whose diocese Lightcliffe then was. The Nave is 71 feet long by 22 feet  wide and the aisles are10 feet wide.  The Tower is 80 feet high with a turret of a further 8 feet.



Who's who at St Matthew's Church :

Vicar                                        Reverend Kathryn Buck                           01422 202424

Churchwardens                     Denise Wormald                                       

Asst Warden                           Grahame Cotterill                                     

Readers                                  Colin Painten                                             

Pastoral Ministry                   Barbara Smith                                           

PCC Secretary                        Heather Harding                                      

PCC Treasurer                       Alison Crowther                            

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Electoral Roll                          Denise Wormald                                                                          

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Safeguarding Officers          Colin Painten                                             

                                                 Grahame Cotterill

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Gift Aid Secretary                  Christine Stephenson

Bellringers                              Peter Kirby                                                

Room Hire Bookings            Kathryn Gibson                          

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Thursday Circle                      Katherine Fraser                                        

Website                                   Heather Harding                                      -

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