Dewsbury Minster facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dewsbury Minster |
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| All Saints' Church | |
Dewsbury Minster from the front
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| 53°41′23″N 1°37′45″W / 53.6896°N 1.6291°W | |
| OS grid reference | SE 24590 21524 |
| Location | Dewsbury, Kirklees |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Previous denomination | Catholic |
| Website | DewsburyMinster.org.uk |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* |
| Designated | 30 June 1949 |
| Style | Gothic revival |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Dewsbury |
| Deanery | Dewsbury |
| Archdeaconry | Pontefract |
| Episcopal area | Wakefield |
| Diocese | Leeds |
| Province | York |
Dewsbury Minster, also known as the Minster Church of All Saints, is a very old and important church in Dewsbury, England. It's located in West Yorkshire. This church has been around since the 1200s! It was rebuilt in 1895 to look as it does today. The church is easy to find in the town centre. In 1949, it was given a special "Grade II* listed" status. This means it's a really important historical building. In 1994, it became a "Minster" church. This is an honorific title given to only a few special churches. Other churches with this title in West Yorkshire include Halifax Minster and Leeds Minster.
History of Dewsbury Minster
The church has a long and interesting past. Parts of it are very old. For example, the north arcade was built around the year 1220. An arcade is a row of arches. The south arcade was built a bit later in the same century.
Key Moments in Time
The ceiling of the main part of the church, called the nave, was built in the 1400s. The nave is the central area where people sit. Later, around 1767, the tower and the north aisle were added. These parts were designed by a famous architect named John Carr.
A well-known writer's father, Patrick Brontë, worked at Dewsbury Minster. He was a curate there from 1809 to 1811. In 1850, the church ceiling was made higher. This created more space for an organ loft.
Between 1884 and 1888, the church was made even bigger. This work was done by A. E. Street and A. H. Kirk. During this time, a new east window was put in. New wooden seats, called pews, were also added. In 1895, the south aisle was taken down and rebuilt. It was rebuilt in a style called Gothic revival style. This style looks like old Gothic churches.
In 1912, a beautiful new carved-oak reredos was added. A reredos is a screen or decoration behind the altar. This one showed Jesus Christ and his twelve apostles.
In 2013, the church got a grant of £25,000 from Kirklees Borough Council. This money was used to install lights on the outside of the church. These lights make the church glow at night.
The "Devil's Knell" Bell
Dewsbury is located near the River Calder. It is believed that a very early Christian preacher named Paulinus once preached here. Some of the stone walls inside the church are from Saxon times. This means they are over 1,000 years old!
The church tower holds a special bell called "Black Tom." This bell is rung every Christmas Eve. It rings once for each year since the birth of Christ. This tradition is known as the "Devil's Knell." It has been happening since the 1400s. The bell was given to the church by Sir Thomas de Soothill. He gave it as a way to say sorry for accidentally harming a servant boy. This unique tradition was even shown on a Royal Mail postage stamp in 1986.
Gallery
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South side of the church
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Interior
See also
- Listed buildings in Dewsbury
- Grade II* listed buildings in Kirklees
- Diocese of Leeds
