Historic Barnsley church to go under the hammer

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The former Wesleyan Reform church in the Smithies area of Barnsley is to go up for auction in December with a £275,000 guide price.

The church, together with its Sunday school building, will appear in the online property auction held by Sheffield-based auction house Mark Jenkinson, which is part of property group Eddisons, on 4 December.

Located on Wakefield Road, a mile from Barnsley town centre, the church and a detached Sunday school building, which is also included in the sale, are on a third-of-an-acre site. The stone-built former church dates back to 1912 and the Sunday school was added in 1932.

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Both still contain most of their original features, including the church’s traditional wooden pews, stained glass windows and organ The two buildings cover a floor area of 8,700 sq ft.

The church and Sunday school at Smithies, Barnsley, up for sale next month with Sheffield auction house Mark JenkinsonThe church and Sunday school at Smithies, Barnsley, up for sale next month with Sheffield auction house Mark Jenkinson
The church and Sunday school at Smithies, Barnsley, up for sale next month with Sheffield auction house Mark Jenkinson

According to auctioneers, the buildings have potential for conversion to residential accommodation, subject to planning consent.

Adrian Little, director at Mark Jenkinson, said: “These two wonderful historic buildings hark back to an era when Smithies was an important coal mining centre, with five collieries operating in and around the village in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

“It would be fantastic if a new owner could be found for them at auction, who could give the properties a new lease of life, whether as residential accommodation, or with another alternative use.

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“Of course, any potential buyer would need to secure planning consent in order to change the use of the properties and we have had some interest from a number of different investors.”

The church and Sunday school at Smithies, Barnsley, up for sale next month with Sheffield auction house Mark JenkinsonThe church and Sunday school at Smithies, Barnsley, up for sale next month with Sheffield auction house Mark Jenkinson
The church and Sunday school at Smithies, Barnsley, up for sale next month with Sheffield auction house Mark Jenkinson

The Mark Jenkinson auction, which includes the former Wesleyan Reform Church on Wakefield Road in Smithies, Barnsley, has new lots added daily and will be held on 4 December at www.markjenkinson.co.uk