2026-09-19 | Heritage Open Days – Todmorden Unitarian Church

19 SEPTEMBER: A grade 1 listed building overlooking the beautiful Calderdale town of Todmorden. Come and see our Cappronier stained glass windows, large grounds and other fabulous features.

Grade I listed Todmorden Unitarian Church and its surrounding grounds are an arguably unrivalled example of High Victorian Nonconformist Church architecture and Churchyard and an exemplar of the social, economic and cultural impacts of the Industrial Revolution. The Church was built between 1865 and 1869 and designed by John Gibson, an eminent architect who also worked on the Palace of Westminster. The Church is unique in its largely unaltered state, retaining its original Victorian Gothic design and decoration. It was constructed as a memorial to John Fielden MP, a local industrialist and social reformer, and funded by his family who were prominent mill owners and social reformers in the area.

The Church’s architecture is an outstanding example of the Gothic Revival style, characterised by its elaborate stone carvings, a 59-metre octagonal tower, and a richly decorated interior with oak, stone, and marble. The interior of the Church remains largely intact and features a long nave with aisles, a chancel with elaborate choir stalls and stained glass windows by Jean-Baptiste Capronnier. The rose window above the main entrance contains over thirty thousand pieces of stained glass. The Church also houses a historic organ by William Hill, although it is currently non-functional due to water damage.