Inside out

Saltaire's historic Congregational Church (now known as the United Reformed Church) is undergoing extensive renovation at the moment, to make safe the canopy and steps. Though it remains open to visitors in the afternoons, it is shrouded in scaffolding and screening and looks externally rather unattractive. No pain, no gain, as they say! More information about the church and its restoration can be found on its website.

Meanwhile, I have been doing a bit of demolition work on it myself... experimenting with merging some images of the church. This idea is, I have to confess, not original to me. I have seen several examples of photographs of buildings that use this 'cut-away' technique to suggest the interior view. I've just learned how to do it, on my photography course, and there's nothing like a bit of practice to help to understand and embed the principles! The interior of the Grade 1 listed church is as breathtaking - in its inimitable Victorian way - as the exterior, and I think it's rather intriguing to see both at the same time.

The church was built in 1859 by Sir Titus Salt, as part of the 'model' village he had constructed round his vast mill complex to house his mill workers. A staunch Christian himself, Sir Titus saw it as his duty to ensure the spiritual wellbeing of his villagers. Later, he decided to add an extension to act as the Salt family mausoleum and he and several other members of his family are interred there. Designed by the architects Lockwood and Mawson, the church is in the ornate Italianate style that characterises Salts Mill and the World Heritage Site village of Saltaire.

For more detailed photos of the interior see my blog 22 June 2009, 24 October and 26 October.