St Michael’s Church has stood at the heart of Mytholmroyd since the mid‑19th century, its story woven into the life of the valley.
Foundations and Consecration
The foundation stone was laid on 6 September 1847, and the church was consecrated by The Right Reverend Charles Thomas Longley, Bishop of Ripon, on 8 September 1848. The building was designed in the decorated Gothic style by Mallinson and Healey of Bradford, with a square western tower intended to hold a clock and a peal of bells. Queen Adelaide, the Dowager Queen, was among the early subscribers who helped fund its construction.
Growth and Enlargement
As Mytholmroyd grew with the coming of the railway, so did the church. In 1888, the building was enlarged with a new chancel, south aisle, vestries, and organ chamber. The re‑dedication was marked by full choral services, and parishioners contributed generously to furnish and beautify the church.
Bells and Clock
The tower became home to a clock and a peal of six bells in 1875, cast by Mears of London and installed at a cost of £650 raised by public subscription. Later, in 1923, the present ring of eight bells was erected by Taylors of Loughborough. St Michael’s is one of the few towers where the ropes still have traditional Yorkshire tail ends. The bells are rung for Sunday services, weddings, and special occasions, with practice held on Thursday evenings from 6.00–7.30 pm.
Architecture and Features
The church is Grade II listed, with a battlemented tower topped by a small octagonal spire. Inside, mosaics of the Apostles and northern saints adorn the chancel walls. Over time, gifts from parishioners have enriched the building — from stained glass windows to a marble reredos and a brass eagle lectern given by the Sunday School.
Boxing Day Floods
On 26 December 2015, catastrophic flooding struck the Calder Valley. In Mytholmroyd, the Rivers Calder and Elphin combined at their highest recorded level — more than 3.5 metres above the usual peak. Three buildings were washed away, homes and businesses were left uninhabitable, and the church was inundated.
Floodwaters reached 1.2 metres deep inside the church and hall, levelling gravestones and boundary walls in the churchyard. Recovery was slow: silt and waterlogged sub‑floors made drying difficult, and initial low‑impact methods proved ineffective in the cold winter months. This delay, however, allowed time to plan improvements and incorporate flood‑resilience measures while respecting the building’s historic character.
Restoration took almost three years and cost more than £500,000. It was not until August 2017 that a Sunday service was once again held in the church, marking a powerful moment of rebirth for the parish and community. Today, a plaque by the church entrance shows the height the waters reached inside the building — a permanent reminder of the devastation and the resilience of the people who rebuilt.
Tower Appeal
The tower and clock are central to the identity of Mytholmroyd. The clock itself belongs to the village — it was purchased by local people, not the church — and while Hebden Royd Town Council maintains it, church volunteers care for it day to day.
We now face the challenge of repairing both the clock tower and the clock face. This work requires a significant sum, and the Tower Appeal has been launched to raise the necessary funds. If you would like to support this vital project and help preserve a landmark that belongs to the whole community, please consider contributing via the appeal page: 👉 Support the Tower Appeal
Further Reading
One of our own parishioners and churchwardens, Eric Alston, has written a detailed history of the church. His book, The Parish Church of St Michael Mytholmroyd 1848–1998, offers a rich account of the building, its people, and its heritage. It is available on Amazon. In addition, Dr J. H. Thompson’s 1908 historical research on St Michael’s is available to download below, offering a fascinating contemporary account of the church’s early years.