Ilkley church on the move
The long-awaited major developments at All Saints Ilkley are about to get under way.
The building works will give a more flexible and friendly space not only for worship and weddings but also for community activities, concerts, exhibitions, performances, conferences and meetings. And there will be improved access.
The building works include: new level floors and heating, flexible seating to replace fixed pews, improved lighting, and an accessible toilet. There will be a new Link Building between the Church and the meeting rooms in Church House providing a light and airy welcome and meeting space and increased safety for children and vulnerable adults.
The exciting associated heritage plan will imaginatively tell and interpret the story of the church and the people of Ilkley from the times of the Roman Fort and the Anglo-Saxons, through the life of the medieval and Victorian eras, right up to the current 21st-Century renovations. This includes working with artists and writers, architects and designers, as well as new volunteer roles. New resources are being prepared, including digital experiences as well as written and audio material. There will be a wide range of activities for the community including a “memories project”, and opportunities for all ages to engage with the living heritage of our community and our church.
The contractor has yet to be named but work is anticipated to begin in the coming weeks and it is hoped that the Church will re-open in the early Summer of 2019. Professional advisers include Halliday Clark Architects from Ilkley, and the Bradford-based Michael Eyres Partnership as Project Managers. The project has support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The last service before the works begin will be a joint service at 10.00am on Sunday 4th November - all are welcome to share this historic moment. Sunday 11th November will be the first of All Saints’ services to be held during the build-period in the Clarke-Foley Centre, Ilkley.
The complete vision for All Saints is not limited to the work to the Church and the Link, but also to include the adjacent Church House too. Further work in the future will provide a renovated hall, a catering-quality kitchen and a suite of meeting rooms. Already there are many community groups using the venue for pre-school children’s provision, for youth work, for elderly-persons social gatherings and for various special-interest groups. The new facilities will be available for an even wider range of community organisations, businesses and charities.