Building record MDR13463 - St Barnabas's Church, Albert Road, New Whittington

According to Bulmer's Directory, there was a Mission Church, dedicated to St. Barnabas, at New Whittington, built in 1884. (1) St Barnabas's Church is situated in New Whittington on the 2nd edition 25" Ordnance Survey map of c. 1900, no shown on the 1st edition 25" Ordnance Survey map of c. 1880. (2) The foundation stone of St. Barnabas' Church was laid on June 11th (St. Barnabas' Day) 1884 by Mrs. Mark Firth of Sheffield. The church opened for public worship during the following November. Firth School was at the time being used for meeting before the church was built but was becoming inadequate, so a separate church for New Whittington (at the time still part of the parish of St. Bartholomew's Old Whittington) was built. There was a Curate-in-Charge appointed from 1882 onwards. The Church Hall attached to the Church was built in 1991. The original stone arch from the Church door was erected over the new hall door. In 2005, the wooden cupola was taken down, having found to be dangerous. The bell was repaired and prepared for rehanging (dependent upon funding) and currently is on display, within the Church, in front of the war memorial. The original pipe organ fell into disuse in 1977 and was eventually replaced in 1995 by an electronic creation housed within the original frame and pipes. In 2005, the hedging and lawn were removed and a concrete paved area was laid around the church, opening up the north and eastern sides. An impressive cross with “St Barnabas Church” was created in the pattern of the paving at the main entrance door. (3) St Barnabas Church, New Whittington was built in 1884 as a mission church and became a parish in its own right in 1927. (4) Modern maps show this building as still extant and in use as St. Barnabas's Church. (5)