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View Full Version : Mount St Mary's, Leeds, May '12



Boba Low
21-10-2012, 10:08 PM
I originally visited this place with SammyDoubleWhammy last year, and it was a bitch to get inside, mostly owing to a giant hand-ripper of a fence. It was a fucking awesome sight to behold though once inside, and a year on when I decided to take a peek in again this hadn't changed. It's a total wreck inside, but just an awesome space, and the light is amazing, if a little challenging to shoot. Access was still silly but fun.

Mount St Mary's Church, "The Famine Church" due to the fact that it was built during the recovery of the Irish from the great potato famine, potentially helping to stabilise a community that had seen traumatic times. She stands high on Richmond Hill in Leeds, an area known traditionally as 'The Bank' and once home to Leeds' poor Irish Catholic population. In 1851, following a meeting between Father Robert Cooke of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and a group of the city's Irish Catholics, St Mary's Mission was opened by the Oblates. Construction on the church began in 1852, however funds were desperately low and the building took five years to build, the main building (designed by Joseph Hansom of the Hansom Cab fame) finally achieving completion in 1857, with the chancel and transepts (designed by EW Pugin) being added in 1866.

The church closed it's doors for the last time in 1989, reportedly due to a dwindling congregation, and was deconsecrated by the Catholic church. Rumour has it that the owner sold anything of value inside before leaving this beautiful building to rot.


Shot on some cheap fuji stuff.

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j419/Boba_Low/Photo24_21-1.jpg

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j419/Boba_Low/Photo25_22.jpg

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j419/Boba_Low/Photo22_19-1.jpg

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j419/Boba_Low/Photo20_17-1.jpg

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j419/Boba_Low/Photo14_11.jpg

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j419/Boba_Low/Photo27_24.jpg

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j419/Boba_Low/Photo16_13-1.jpg

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j419/Boba_Low/Photo15_12-1.jpg
Massive apologies for this one, I wanted to convey some scale as the place is absolutely massive, but it just looks cliche. Bah.

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j419/Boba_Low/Photo23_20-1.jpg

http://i1084.photobucket.com/albums/j419/Boba_Low/Photo26_23.jpg

coops
22-10-2012, 08:27 AM
Would love to do this place :thumb

birdinanaviary
22-10-2012, 12:18 PM
This place damn near killed me, it was full lol though

I don't find the pictures cliche one bit!
I love that your using film it's really making my day!