| St Thomas, Brightside | |
|---|---|
 St Thomas, seen from the north west | |
| Religion | |
| Affiliation | Anglican |
| District | Diocese of Sheffield |
| Ecclesiastical or organizational status | Church |
| Year consecrated | 1854 |
| Location | |
| Location | Brightside,Sheffield South Yorkshire,England |
  Shown within Sheffield | |
| Coordinates | 53°24′24″N1°25′56″W / 53.40668°N 1.43209°W /53.40668; -1.43209 |
| Architecture | |
| Architect | Flockton & Son |
| Type | Church |
| Style | Gothic Revival |
| Completed | 1853 |
| Construction cost | £1600 (£190,000 in 2023)[1] |
| Capacity | 400 |
St Thomas is a formerAnglicanchurch in theBrightside area ofSheffield inEngland which now serves as acircus training school.
TheSheffield and Rotherham Railway opened in 1838, and both industry and housing spread along its route through theLower Don Valley. Despite its booming population, the district of Brightside did not have an Anglican church, the local congregation instead meeting in a licensed room with a capacity of only seventy people. However, the district had two largeMethodist chapels,[2] and theChurch Commissioners supported the construction of an Anglican church with a grant of £100.[3] The total cost of construction was £1600, with the remainder being raised by subscription.[4][5]
A site of around one acre off Holywell Road was donated by theEarl Fitzwilliam, and construction began in 1852, Canon Blackburn laying the foundations stone.[6][7] It was completed the following year,[3] withconsecration by theArchbishop of York,Thomas Musgrave, taking place in 1854.[7][8] It was designed byFlockton & Son, local architects who had already designed many buildings in Sheffield, includingChrist Church, Pitsmoor, and the Anglican Chapel at theSheffield General Cemetery.[9] In theGothic Revival style, it has anave and single south aisle, with a tower and spire at the south-western corner.[8]
Initially, the church remained part of the parish ofGrimesthorpe, but in 1864, it was given its own parish.[7][10] In 1873, a memorial was erected to William Mannifield, who had been killed in an accident at the nearbyBrightside Colliery.[11]
George Pace conducted much work on the church, providing new decorations in 1957, then a newaltar,reredos andlectern in the 1960s.[12] It wasGrade II listed in 1973,[8] but was closed and deconsecrated in 1979.[13] During the 1980s, it was used as the Sheffield School of Gymnastics,[14] then in 1995 it was restored as part of the TV seriesChallenge Anneka, to serve as a training centre forGreentop Circus.[15]