Church Of St John The Evangelist

The Church of St John the Evangelist, built in 1880 by T. Rushforth, is a Grade II listed building located on Calder Street in West Vale. It features a mix of Romanesque and Gothic architectural styles, constructed from hammer-dressed stone with sandstone dressings and a slate roof. The church has a nave and chancel that are roofed continuously, with lean-to aisles and a southwest porch situated under the tower. The exterior is simply designed, with small round-arched windows in the aisles and clerestorey, and an east window consisting of three lancets. The tower rises in three tall stages, supported by clasping buttresses that culminate in octagonal pinnacles, topped by a short octagonal stone spire. The first two stages of the tower exhibit Romanesque characteristics, while the belfry windows are Gothic with two lights. The porch features rich Romanesque designs on both the inner and outer doorways, with the outer adorned with chevron patterns and the inner with beak-head ornamentation. The doors are fitted with ornamental hinges.

Inside, the nave comprises four bays with moulded semi-circular arches that spring from round piers with attached colonnettes. The chancel arch is heavily moulded and enriched with dogtooth detailing. A stone reredos of Gothic design is carved with the Lord's Prayer, the Creed, and the Ten Commandments, while the east window depicts scenes from the Life of Christ. The church has an open roof with arched-braced collars, and the capitals throughout are skillfully carved with gripping beasts and foliage. Notable furnishings include a delicate wrought-iron screen and a square font made of blackstone that imitates Tournai marble, supported by four colonnettes with waterleaf capitals.