St Matthew & St Luke

The parish of St Matthew was formed in 1844 with the first part of the building consecrated in 1857, the chancel in 1870 and the upper stage of the tower in 1881. Later additions include a baptistry (later demolished) and in 1972 an entrance porch, narthex, toilets and vestries.

The church is built of grit stone, with dressed stonework to window openings and buttresses, with a Westmorland slated roof and clay ridge tiles. Although the exterior of the church suggests a typical 19th century country church, the interior, whist keeping traditional features, has a light, modern and intimate feel. This has been achieved through the redecoration and reordering in 1986 after a fire that damaged much of the plaster work, pews and organ. The oak pews were salvageable, and therefore restored and returned; the plaster renewed and the original pipe organ replaced by an electronic one organ built by Makin.

There are six stained glass windows in the nave and three in the chancel, some by Kempe and Tower, others by Comere and Capronnier are fine examples of their work. The most recent window was installed in the chancel commemorating the fire. The west window is of simple geometric shaped coloured glass as are the windows in the narthex. The east window depicts the nativity.

At the west end of the nave there is a gallery with blind arcaded parapet on cast iron columns.