Heptonstall Churchyard

The ancient hilltop village of Heptonstall, overlooking Hebden Bridge, has two churches, both in the same churchyard, one in ruins, the other in use. There are only a handful of sites with two churches built in the same grounds. The old building (1260) deteriorated until 1847 when a storm destroyed the tower and it was abandoned for the new church. It is now a Grade II* Ancient Monument which is being made safe. The graveyard surrounding the two churches holds over 100,000 bodies; the re-use of gravestones indicates how cramped it is causing access problems. The village is a heritage destination for tourists including the grave of Sylvia Plath.