Our Lady and St Paulinus, Dewsbury

Our Lady and St Paulinus in Dewsbury is a Roman Catholic parish church in the town of Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, within the borough of Kirklees. The Gothic Revival building on Cemetery Road is Grade II listed and stands among the more interesting examples of nineteenth-century church architecture in this part of England.

How did the church come about?

Catholic Mass has been celebrated in Dewsbury since 1841. For years the community met in a school that doubled as a chapel, and it only gained a resident priest in 1865. A growing congregation soon needed a larger building. The foundation stone of the present church was laid in 1867, and it opened in June 1871.

The design is by Edward Welby Pugin, one of the best-known English Gothic Revival architects and the son of Augustus Welby Pugin, who shaped many Catholic churches of the Victorian age. The architect's name is the main reason the building attracts architecture enthusiasts.

What is there to see outside and inside?

The church has a tall, slender profile typical of the Gothic Revival. It stands on a substructure that contains a parish hall, which dealt with the lie of the land and gave the community extra space.

Inside, you can trace the stages of the parish's history:

• a new high altar was installed in 1884,
• a Lady altar was added in 1930,
• the baptistery in the south-west became a war memorial chapel in 1919,
• the east end was reordered in 1984, and the original pulpit was reduced in size.

The windows in the apse date from the 1890s and are attributed to Hardman, a respected stained glass workshop that supplied many Gothic Revival churches across England.

Is this the same as Dewsbury Minster?

No. Dewsbury also has the Anglican Minster Church of All Saints, which has Saxon roots and a link to Saint Paulinus. The church described here is a separate Catholic parish, named for Our Lady and for Saint Paulinus, who preached Christianity in northern England in the seventh century. Keep this in mind when planning a visit, since both places are in the same town and have similar names.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the church? On Cemetery Road in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, at roughly 53.6875 N, 1.6413 W.

Who designed it? Edward Welby Pugin. Building began in 1867 and the church opened in 1871.

Is it a listed building? Yes, it is Grade II listed.

Is it a Catholic church? Yes, it is a Roman Catholic parish church. The Anglican Minster of All Saints is a different building in the same town.

Who is it best suited to? Visitors interested in Victorian architecture, the Pugin legacy and the history of Catholicism in industrial northern England. It is a working parish church, so be respectful and allow for service times.