St Peter's Church - Join the Journey! Every journey begins with the first step.

That first step was taken on 13th September 1822, when barrister Francis Maude laid the foundation stone of St. Peter's Church, Stanley. Two years later the building was open – complete with a full church choir AND an orchestra!

The church was improved over the following decades but in 1911 the building was ravaged by fire. Fire fighting facilities were poor and by the time a suitable fire engine arrived the roof had collapsed and only the outer walls were left standing.

The shell of the gutted church was used in the construction of a new building and the church was re-opened on 5th July, 1913.

Now, 187 years after the church was founded, St. Peter's has taken another step.... or rather 300 of them.

In 2001, with great sadness, the congregation was forced to vacate the building because it was unsafe. Huge cracks had appeared in the structure indicating massive subsidence. We are seeking a way to preserve the facade of this fine ‘landmark' building, which holds so many memories of life in Stanley. We know that this subject is controversial. But one thing is clear. Regrettably, the building cannot be occupied again as a church because the costs of repair and upkeep far outstrip what it is possible to raise.

So we took 300 steps and now meet in the old village school building on Lake Lock Road. St. Peter's Church, Stanley, is alive and well and supporting more activities and services in the village than ever before. (to see a list of these activities and contact details follow the "Proud to be in Stanley" link on the menu above).

So what of the future?
As a congregation and also as villagers we look back with sadness at having to leave our old church. We worshipped there every week. We celebrated Easter, harvest time and Christmas. We had marriages, funerals and christenings, laughter and tears and praise.

But now we have a great feeling of excitement as we take new steps – like our forefathers nearly 200 years ago – as we plan for a new church!

We are in negotiation with Wakefield Council to purchase the redundant old village school building that we presently rent. We are confident that as a congregation we can raise the funds. And we want to develop the buildings not just for the needs of our congregation but to genuinely serve the needs of the local community.

So we too want to develop the old school building and its grounds to be a centre for the community with our church at its heart. St. Peter's is for us all and in trust for our children. We want to be a church for the present and the future – without forgetting our past. If you have any ideas about a new St Peter's Church in your community we want to hear from you.

Contact Us!
All the details to contact us via the website, via post or via telephone can be found here.

The NEXT step starts here!