Church of St Mary the Blessed Virgin

CHURCH OF ST MARY THE BLESSED VIRGIN, HIGH STREET

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Overview

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1134509
Date first listed:
01-Oct-1985
List Entry Name:
Church of St Mary the Blessed Virgin
Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST MARY THE BLESSED VIRGIN, HIGH STREET
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Archive image, may not represent current condition of site.
Date:
1999-08-01
Reference:
IOE01/01262/07
Rights:
© Mr Robert W Mawer. Source: Historic England Archive

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Official list entry

Heritage Category:
Listed Building
Grade:
II
List Entry Number:
1134509
Date first listed:
01-Oct-1985
Date of most recent amendment:
19-Jul-1988
List Entry Name:
Church of St Mary the Blessed Virgin
Statutory Address 1:
CHURCH OF ST MARY THE BLESSED VIRGIN, HIGH STREET

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

The scope of legal protection for listed buildings

This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.

Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.

For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.

Understanding list entries

Corrections and minor amendments

Location

Statutory Address:
CHURCH OF ST MARY THE BLESSED VIRGIN, HIGH STREET

The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.

District:
Calderdale (Metropolitan Authority)
Parish:
Non Civil Parish
National Grid Reference:
SE 04134 26223

Details

SOWERBY BRIDGE HIGH STREET SE 0426 (north side, off), 5/91 Luddenden 1.10.85 Church of St Mary the Blessed Virgin GV II Church. 1816-17 by Thomas Taylor of Leeds, alterations and extensions 1866 and 1910. Coursed squared stone, Welsh slate roof. Gothic style. West tower with south porch (now vestry) and north addition, nave, chancel. Tower: 2 stages. Offset clasping buttresses rise into crocketed finials. Embattled pent porch on south with blocked doorway. West doorway with 2-light window above, both with hoodmoulds. All windows with Y-tracery. 2-light belfry openings, southern one with later clock face. Embattled parapet. Nave: 4 bays defined by offset pilaster buttresses. Plinth. 3-light intersecting tracery window on left, others of 2 cusped lights with trefoils over, all with hoodmoulds. Cornice with gutter spouts; embattled gables. North windows of 3 lights with intersecting tracery. Tracery all of 1866. Chancel: 1866, extended 1910. 3 bays, lower and narrower than nave. Plinth, offset buttresses. 2-light Perpendicular-style windows; arched opening under right hand window. Raised verge with gable cross. 5-light east window with rectilinear tracery. Interior: nave has attached octagonal columns rising to window-head height Panelled roofs. In tower double stair with ramped handrail on straight and wavy iron balusters leads up to gallery (restored 1985/86). At back of church font dated 1662 has fluted base with rolled top supporting octagonal basin with carved panels to sides, one dated. Near to it is earlier tub font. Near the Victorian pulpit is an early C19 font with octagonal base, concave shaft and small cyma-moulded bowl. Some C18 monuments including one in south porch to James Farrer of Ewood Hall, d.1718, having swags and cherubs beneath a cartouche surmounted by arms with festoons. In south-east wall of nave brass memorial plate to William Grimshaw, d.1763, incumbent of Haworth who introduced Methodism to that area. Benefaction boards in tower. This church is the third to be built on the site. A cross wall being inserted in nave and other alterations being undertaken at the time of resurvey. J A Heginbottom, The Parish Church of St Mary the Blessed Virgin, Luddenden with Luddenden Foot, A Brief History and Guide (1984).

Listing NGR: SE0413426223

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:
339233
Legacy System:
LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Heginbottom, J A, The Parish Church of St Mary the Blessed Virgin Luddenden with Luddenden Foot A Brief History and Guide, (1984)

Legal

This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.

Ordnance survey map of Church of St Mary the Blessed Virgin

Map

This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 07-Jun-2026 at 21:54:39.

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© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. Use of this mapping is subject to Terms and Conditions.

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.

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