AN historic Barnsley church will go up for auction next month.
The former Wesleyan Reform church in Smithies area will go under the hammer in December with a £275,000 guide price.
Located on Wakefield Road, 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.
Both still contain most of their original features, including the church’s traditional wooden pews, stained glass windows and organ
According to auctioneers Mark Jenkinson, 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.
“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 Mark Jenkinson auction, which includes the former Wesleyan Reform Church on Wakefield Road in Smithies, Barnsley, will be held on December 4 at www.markjenkinson.co.uk
