All Saints Church, Harley Wood, Lydgate Todmorden

All Saints church, now demolished, was located at Harley Wood, Lydgate near Todmorden. Designed in the Gothic style by James Green of Portsmouth House, Todmorden was originally said to accommodate about 400 people. The first stone was laid by William Helliwell of Kitson Wood House and the church was first opened on Wednesday 6th October 1858 by the Vicar of Halifax, the Ven. Archdeacon Musgrave. It was demolished in 1975 following closure in 1972.

HARLEY WOOD is an ecclesiastical parish formed in 1864 from the civil parish of Halifax, Yorks. The church of All Saints, erected in 1858, is a building of stone in the style and consists of chancel, nave, south porch and a western turret containing one bell: there are several stained glass windows: there are sittings for 280 persons. The register dates from the year 1858. The living is a vicarage. [Kelly's Directory of Lancashire (1905)]

LYDGATE CHURCII, near Todmorden.— To Masons, Builders and Others - Persons desirous of Contracting for the Execution of the respective Works required in the erection of a proposed new church at Lydgate, near Todmorden, may see the drawings and specifications of the same from Wednesday the 7th to Saturday the 17th instant on application to Mr J Green, Architects, Portsmouth, near Todmorden, to whom sealed tenders, endorsed "Tender for Lydgate Church" must be delivered on or before Monday the 19th instant. There will be no pledge to accept the lowest Tender. 4 March 1855. [Builder 10 March 1855 page #238]

LYDGATE CHURCH, NEAR TODMORDEN, YORKS - The church represented by our engraving is now in course of erection in the vale of Todmorden, so justly celebrated for its bold and romantic scenery. It will be a chapel- of-ease, within the incumbency of Cross- stone, in the parish of Halifax, and will provide for the wants of a large and rapidly increasing population. The Decorated style of the thirteenth century has been adopted throughout, and the interior will, in every respect, correspond to the external decorations. The chapel will consist of   nave, 57 by 33 feet; and chancel, 26 by 20 feet. The chancel will be separated from the nave by a deeply moulded arch springing from clustered columns, having foliated capitals, and will have sedilla, piscina, and arcade behind altar, of polished Bath-stone. The east window will be glazed with stained glass, representing some scriptural subject. A large handsome window will pierce the west elevation, having flowing geometric tracery, and which is expected to have stained glass, the gift of a private individual. The roof will be open, and in one span springing from moulded and carved corbels, and will be filled in the spandrils with geometric tracery, the whole stained and varnished. Open benches of red deal, varnished, will be provided for the congregation, and the whole of the sittings ( 350 ) will be free . The chapel will be built of excellent freestone with which the neighbourhood abounds. The wallstones in their courses, and the window and other dressings will be the entire width of walls finishing clean inside without plaster. The total cost of chapel, including fencing and approaching, will be under 25001 . The funds for the building and land are raised entirely by subscription, without the aid of any public or government grant, and amongst the subscribers is the Duke of Buccleuch (who has considerable mineral property in the neighbourhood) for the very liberal donation of £200. The contractors are Messrs. Buckley and Egerton of Todmorden for the masons' work, and Mr Richard Kay of Padiham for the joiner's work. Mr J . Green of Portsmouth House, Todmorden, is the architect. [Civil Engineer and Architects’ Journal 18 August 1855 page 257 ]