Church

Dewsbury Minster

Dewsbury Minster

Dewsbury Minster, the Minster Church of All Saints, is a Grade II* parish church on Vicarage Road in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, in the Diocese of Leeds. The parish church was rededicated as a minster in 1994.

Location
Dewsbury, Yorkshire
Country
England
County
Yorkshire
City / town
Dewsbury
Address
Rishworth Road, Dewsbury, Yorkshire, WF12 8DD
Postcode
WF12 8DD
Built
North arcade c.1220; tower c.1767; extended 1884-87; south aisle rebuilt 1895
Architect
John Carr (tower c.1767); A E Street and A H Kirk (1884-87)
Denomination
Church of England
Dedication
All Saints
Diocese
Leeds
Parish
Dewsbury
Grade
II*
Style
Gothic and Gothic Revival
Materials
Ashlar; stone slate roof to nave and north aisle; other roofs leaded
Grid reference
SE 245 215
Opening hours
Monday to Saturday 9am to 3pm.
Access
Level access to the main areas. Accessible toilets nearby

Overview

Historic England records a north arcade of about 1220, a later thirteenth-century south arcade rebuilt in 1895, a fifteenth-century nave ceiling, and a tower and probably the north aisle of 1767. Transepts, chancel, chapels and vestries, and probably the south aisle and clerestory windows, date from 1884-87 by A. E. Street and A. H. Kirk in Decorated style. Wikipedia attributes the tower to John Carr. The fabric is ashlar, with a stone slate roof to the nave and a hipped north aisle; other roofs are leaded and low-pitched.

The listing notes Anglo-Saxon stone fragments in the north aisle. Tradition places Paulinus preaching near the Calder crossing. Patrick Bronte was a curate here from 1809 to 1811. The tower houses the bell known as Black Tom, associated with the Devil's Knell rung on Christmas Eve. The church is one of three West Yorkshire churches given the honorific title of minster.

Further Information