Church Of St Stephen And All Martyrs

The Church of St Stephen and All Martyrs was built in 1873 by Mitchell of Oldham. It is constructed of rock-faced ashlar with ashlar dressings, and has slate roofs with stone-coped gables and finials. The design is in the Early Decorated style, featuring buttresses and diagonal buttresses, some with set-offs. The church comprises a nave and chancel under a single roof, a north transept, aisles, and a south-west tower. The east end has a tall five-light window, with a two-light window to either side in the chancel. The clerestory features triple lancet windows under basket arches. The north aisle has a gabled porch with a north door, and two-light windows with Y-tracery and quatrefoils. A low three-light window is located at the east end. The south transept has a cinquefoil window to the east, and a two-light window with Y-tracery (similar to the aisle windows) connecting it to the tower. Clerestory windows are above the aisle. The three-stage tower has a diagonal buttress with set-offs in the south-east corner and a stair turret to the south-west. It has a two-light window to the south in the first stage, small lancets all around above, and a two-light louvred window to the top stage, which features an arcaded corbel table. The pyramid slate roof has louvred gablets just below the apex. The west end features a tall four-light window.

Inside, the long, high nave and chancel are unified by a roof of alternating scissor-braced and arched-braced trusses. The arched braces rise from carved stone corbels and have trefoils in the spandrels under the collars, with a more elaborately cusped and carved truss marking the chancel. The east window, created by Percy Bacon and Bros. of London in 1907, contains 16th-century style stained glass, and the aisle windows have stained or patterned coloured glass. A south aisle window by Capronnier serves as a memorial to Sarah Ann Orton, wife of the first vicar, and includes a portrait of her. The church contains carved choir stalls and pews, alongside some brought-in fittings. There are reredoses in the chancel and at the west end, the latter having been brought in.

The church’s design was carefully considered to utilise the sloping site, with the tower and transept positioned to the south. The combined nave and chancel create an impressive interior.