Overview
- The original 13th-century St Thomas Becket church was largely destroyed in an 1847 storm, leaving evocative ruins beside the graveyard.
- Poet Sylvia Plath is buried in the churchyard, where her headstone to the south-west was previously vandalised to remove Ted Hughes’ name.
- Villagers secured the reinstatement of original paving in the 1980s, with period-style cast-iron lamps later installed to maintain the historic look.
- The newer St Thomas the Apostle church in the same yard hosts the Pennine Spring Music Festival’s workshops, masterclasses and performances.
- Towngate Tearoom, named West Yorkshire’s best café in 2025 and rated 4.9 on TripAdvisor, is popular with visitors who are advised to book ahead.