Once someone decided to build a mill there was a need for stone with which to construct it, so quarries were opened up. Mills and quarries needed labour so cottages were built and roads laid out with the same stone. Homes needed warmth and the mills needed coal so coal mining developed. People needed the comfort of religion, so churches were built throughout the town to welcome a variety of faiths.

In this section we look at several of the town’s old churches:

• St John’s;
• St Gregory’s;
• The Methodist Church (originally a chapel);
• The New Connexion chapel;
• St Oswald’s;
• The Wesleyan chapel (Kerridge).

Acknowledgements

Our thanks go to those who researched and discovered the history that is presented in these pages. Please read the full acknowledgement of their remarkable achievement. Unless otherwise noted, the historical pictures are from the Civic Society picture collection at the  Discovery Centre  and also available online.

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