Cross Stone Church

The present building was dedicated to St Paul and is a so-called Million Pound or Commissioner’s Church. After a survey had shown that no new churches had been built since the time of Queen Anne, the Church Building Act was passed in 1820 to build churches in developing towns. This allocated £1 million to build churches in industrial areas. The money came from the indemnity money which was paid by the French after the Napoleonic Wars. The church was designed by John Oates and Thomas Pickersgill and built in 1833-35. Oates (d.1831) was a Halifax architect who did much work on local churches and local buildings, including the New Rooms, Halifax, St James’ Church, Halifax and St James’ Church, Hebden Bridge. The church was closed for worship in 1978 after it was declared unsafe. It was then reported to be slipping down the hillside. It is now private housing.