A Lens on a Thousand Years of Worship
Photographing Dewsbury Minster feels like walking through a dialogue between centuries. The Minster, officially known as The Minster Church of All Saints, Dewsbury, stands on ground sanctified long before the Norman Conquest. Tradition holds that Paulinus of York, one of the early missionaries who brought Christianity to northern England, founded a church here in AD 627. That makes Dewsbury one of the earliest centres of Christian worship in West Yorkshire — a place where history is literally layered into the stone.
Through the viewfinder, the Minster’s Norman tower and Gothic windows speak of evolving craftsmanship — a blend of Saxon spirit and medieval devotion. Its sandstone blocks glow warmly in the afternoon light, each carrying the weight of centuries of prayer, conflict, and renewal.
The Soul of the Building
Stepping inside, the Minster reveals its quiet grandeur. The arched arcades, carved columns, and stained glass windows create a dance of colour and shadow that shifts with every passing hour. One photograph captures the Great East Window, a masterpiece of Victorian glasswork, depicting the crucifixion surrounded by saints and angels — a kaleidoscope of devotion frozen in light.
The interior today feels welcoming and alive, with curved rows of wooden chairs replacing traditional pews, their purple cushions adding a modern warmth against the ancient stone. The altar, framed by the great arch of the chancel, glows under soft illumination — a focal point both for worship and artistic contemplation.
The Curfew Bell of Dewsbury
Perhaps Dewsbury’s most famous tradition is the “Curfew Bell”, also known as the “Devil’s Knell.” Each Christmas Eve, the church bell tolls once for every year since the birth of Christ — a haunting and beautiful ritual said to date back to the 15th century. The custom was established by Sir Thomas de Soothill, who donated the bell in penance for a violent crime, and it continues to this day, linking the modern town to its medieval conscience.
Stories in Stone
Wandering the churchyard, I was drawn to the worn gravestones and memorials that circle the Minster like sentinels of memory. The Kohima Epitaph memorial, inspired by the words from the Battle of Kohima (“When you go home, tell them of us and say…”), stands humbly on the cobblestones — a small yet deeply moving tribute to sacrifice.
Nearby, a carved statue of St Philip watches over visitors inside the Minster, his serene face illuminated by a shaft of natural light — a moment that felt quietly timeless through the lens.
Reflections Through the Camera
Photographing Dewsbury Minster in April 2015 with a modest Polaroid iS2132 camera, I was reminded how photography can bridge time. The church’s textured stone, filtered sunlight, and intricate glass challenged the lens to balance detail and atmosphere. In every image, the Minster seems to breathe — ancient yet alive, sacred yet rooted in the everyday life of Dewsbury.
A Living Heritage
Today, Dewsbury Minster stands not only as a house of worship but as a community hub — hosting concerts, art exhibitions, and social initiatives that reflect its enduring mission of faith and fellowship. To photograph it is to witness continuity: the sacred and the ordinary woven together, much as they have been here for nearly 1,400 years.
I took these pictures with a Polaroid is2132 bridge camera in April 2015, clicking any of them should open a link in another window to my Colin Green Photography store on Zazzle.
The statue of St Philip is one of a series of carved wooden figures that form a magnificent Reredos (an ornamental screen or partition covering the wall at the back of an altar). This Reredos, dating from 1912, was designed by Temple Moore and carved by Bridgeman of Lichfield.
Originally installed behind the high altar of the Minster, it is now situated in the church's Narthex (entrance area) and depicts Christ surrounded by the Twelve Apostles, with each saint holding the symbol associated with their martyrdom or life story. The figure represents St Philip the Apostle, and he is typically identified by a long staff topped with a small cross or by a basket or loaves (referencing his role in the Feeding of the Five Thousand), serving as a beautiful example of early 20th-century religious art within the historic Minster.
