Nominal: 1131 Hz Weight: 560 lbs Diameter: 30" Bell 1 of 2
Founded by George Mears 1859
Dove Bell ID: 61036 Tower ID: 24058 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Thornhill Lees: Holy Innocents w Savile Town
Overview
Grid reference: SE 241 203
The large Victorian Gothic church of blackened sandstone is located on the crest of a hill, and has considerable townscape value, though this is limited in the summer because it is partly hidden by trees from most angles, although the tall spire comes intermittently into view as one approaches. Holy Innocents was built in 1858-9, designed by the prolific local architects Mallinson and Healy and paid for by the Cook and Wormald families of Dewsbury Mills, who seem not to have held back with funds. Generally, this is a fine and dignified church, exemplary of what this prolific Yorkshire practice could achieve with a sizeable budget.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
5-bay aisled nave, chancel with north organ chamber and south vestry, west tower, south porch.
Dimensions:
Nave 25m (85ft) x 5m (16ft), 3-bay chancel 8m (26ft) long.
Footprint of Church buildings: 510 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
Thornhill was originally a small independent township. Like nearby Dewsbury it was an important Saxon settlement from the 9th century mentioned in Domesday, and Saxon graves and crosses have been found in the area. Impressive collections of cross fragments of this date are held at Thornhill St Michael and Dewsbury Minster. The hillside site has considerable archaeological potential and reference should be made to the Historic Environment Record if any development on or near the site is completed.
The church of Holy Innocents was built in 1858-9, designed by prolific local architects Mallinson and Healy and paid for by the Cook and Wormald families of Dewsbury Mills. Their names and those of several other local industrial dynasties can be found memorialised in the church, a remarkable social record of the industrial revolution. The church of St Mary in Savile town was closed in 1968, merging the two parishes together.
Exterior Description
The church is designed in their favoured Decorated style. The dominant feature is the tall and impressive west tower with broach spire, of three stages with angle buttresses. Paired 2-light pointed bell-chamber openings. The parapet is pierced with trefoils and has large-octagonal pinnacles and gargoyles. The spire has lucarnes and smaller ones higher up. The tower west window is of three lights with two trefoils and one cinquefoil in head.
The south porch has elaborate moulded surround with filleted colonnettes and good foliage capitals. 2-light clearstorey windows with simple tracery to the high nave. The north and south aisles are buttressed, and have 3-light windows with Decorated tracery, each different, with round windows in the end walls. 2-light chancel side windows with traceried heads, 5-light east window with two cinquefoils and one large circle in the head.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
1860
Est window - Suffer the Children, other windows a scheme of the Life of Christ. By William Wailes
Stained Glass
1968
St George's window in the clerestorey is from St Mary's Savile Town. Possibly originally a war memorial.
Stained Glass
Windows in the south aisle, including the Good Samaritan. Later than the main scheme of 1860.
Nave
19th century 5-bay aisled
Chancel
19th century
Organ (component)
19th century chamber
Vestry
19th century
Tower (component)
19th century west
Porch
19th century
Building Materials
Sandstone
19th century rock-faced local sandstone
Ashlar
19th century dressings
Timber
19th century roof
Slate
19th century roof
Interior
Interior Description
The interior is impressive, narrow and tall, and appears to be an intact Victorian ensemble, with the normal accretion of later monuments and art. Plastered and whitewashed walls. Very tall narrow pointed tower arch, and similar arcades carried on quatrefoils filleted piers with plain capitals. Chancel arch on similar responds. Carved heads everywhere. High, slender arch-braced hammer beam roof on colonnettes and corbels. Good, luminous stained glass in most windows, very elaborate stone pulpit and font, the latter with carved tall conical cover with pinnacles.
There are pine benches with shaped ends with double ends in the nave, and more ornate choir stalls with carved ends, these rather good with more carved heads. The organ is set within an arch on the north side. Tiled patterened dado to the chancel side walls, carved stone arcading under the east window (again with heads), encaustic tiled floor and stained glass provides a dignified focus at the east end.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
19th century chest with carved panels
Reredos
19th century intricately carved stone arcading to east wall
Pulpit
19th century hexagonal oak with carved tracery to the panels and heads
Lectern
19th century brass eagle with moulded base and lion's feet
Font (component)
19th century stone, finely carved with open base supported by marble colonettes, carved conical cover
Plaque (component)
19th century several large brass plaques to mill owners and parishoners including the Cook and Wormald families
Organ (component)
20th century the original 1859 organ was replaced in 1968 by that from St Mary's Savile Town
Rail
19th century oak altar rail with tracery within open panels
Bells
Nominal: 891 Hz Weight: 924 lbs Diameter: 36" Bell 2 of 2
Founded by Charles & George Mears 1857
Dove Bell ID: 61037 Tower ID: 24058 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Cracked: No
Portable Furnishings and Artworks
Registers dating from 1858.
Churchyard
Grid reference: SE 241 203
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
The churchyard has war graves.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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