Photograph - Mono (Document ID: 100748)
Exterior view of St. Mary's Church, Luddenden, West Yorkshire.
Author: J Townsend
Date: not dated
Location: Luddenden
Format: Photograph - Mono
Document ID: 100748
Library ID: 041262
The Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin at Luddenden was originally a chapel of ease built in the 1490s, which fell into a state of disrepair and was demolished in 1814. The church depicted was opened in 1817.
In 1840, John Jowett and Thomas Spencer were convicted of stealing lead from the church roof to make bullets for the Chartists.
An altar by wood carver H P Jackson was transferred from St Mary the Virgin, Luddendenfoot, when it was demolished in the 1970s. Jackson (1867-1931), born in Brighouse, set up business in Coley, calling his cottage Morriscot after William Morris. Much of his work is to be found in Calderdale in chapels, churches, war memorials and elsewhere.
This photo is by Jack Townsend of the Halifax Photographic Society.
The church is a Grade II listed building. The following is from Calderdale Council's Listed Buildings description:
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 openings 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 front. Near the Victorian pulpit is an early 19th century font with octagonal base, concave shaft and small cyma-moulded bowl. Some 18th century 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).
