Haworth’s past comes to light

Some of Haworth’s medieval and Georgian past has come to the surface during work being undertaken to repair Haworth Parish Church roof and tower.

The initial part of the project involved an overhaul of the Church’s blocked drainage system on the south-side of the building and, while they were being repaired, the opportunity was taken to stage the first ever recorded archaeological dig in one of the country’s most famous churchyards.

Archaeologist Dr Angela Redmond said  “The project significantly increased our knowledge of the Church and its surroundings. We found traces of a 16th Century roofline on the building; unearthed three previously unrecorded tomb stones; turned up a halfpenny minted during the reign of King George III and discovered a medieval cross carved into a wall and the original flagged entrance to the Church that was 
on the site between 1600 and 1755.

“It's entirely possible that there has been worship on the site of Haworth Parish Church since AD600. The first reference in writing to the Church was in 1197 and again in 1317 when there was a historical reference saying it had been there since ‘ancient times’."

Priest in Charge, Peter Mayo-Smith, said: ““Dr Redmond’s finds are fascinating and we hope that she has an opportunity to move her investigations further as the work to make the south roofs and tower progress.”