The Church of All Saints is an Anglican building in the village of Ledsham, West Yorkshire, England. Parts of the church are originally from the Anglo-Saxon period, it is the oldest church still standing within West Yorkshire, and one of the county's oldest buildings. Although Yorkshire has several Anglo-Saxon structures, the church is noted as a rare survivor despite several renovations. In his book, England's Thousand Best Churches, Simon Jenkins rates it with two stars out five, and it is one of only nine recommended for West Yorkshire.The church possesses a tower and spire on the western side, a nave with a north aisle and south porch, and a chancel with a north chapel and the vestry. The doorway in the south side of the tower (not the west side and which is slightly off-centre), has some decoration around it which is not Saxon, and is believed to be the work of Henry Curzon, who renovated the church in 1871.The church has several tombs, but those of two women, Dame Mary Bolles and Lady Elizabeth Hastings, are the most notable. Mary Bolles' father owned the estate of Ledsham (including the church) after the Reformation. Her brother died young, and through the lineage she inherited the estate, and was buried at Ledsham in 1662. Elizabeth Hastings is also buried within the church, in a tomb designed by Peter Scheemakers. Hastings was a local benefactor and philanthropist who disposed of the family's wealth which they had amassed from trading in East India. As the church dates back to at least the 8th century, it is thought to be the oldest church building still standing, and possible even the oldest building in West Yorkshire. The building was grade I listed in February 1967, and is part of the Ledsham Conservation Area, lying some 10 miles (16 km) east of Leeds, and 5 miles (8 km) north of Pontefract. The church is noted as a rare survivor from the Anglo-Saxon period in Yorkshire, and it has been suggested that it was the ecclesiastical centre of the ancient forest of Loidis.
The organ at All Saints has been awarded a Grade 1 certificate. The citation says that the organ is a rare survivor from the workshop of Isaac Abbott from 1881 with an exquisite tonal scheme and sensitively designed for a difficult location.It is therefore listed in The British Institute of Organ Studies Register of Historic Pipe Organs as being an instrument of importance for the national heritage and one deserving careful preservation for the benefit of future generations.
