Discover Gildersome: Quaker Heritage and Churches

Gildersome can be explored through several distinct themes: Quaker heritage, churches and memorials, and the Leeds Country Way. If you’re looking for a hotel for a trip to Gildersome, first consider whether you’re mainly planning to explore local history, attend a service, visit a festival or go walking. This will help you choose accommodation to suit the purpose of your trip and plan your day accordingly.

Quaker heritage and architectural history

At the heart of Gildersome’s Quaker heritage is the Gildersome Quaker Meeting House, a Grade II listed building. The Quaker complex preserves a complete group of buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries: the meeting house, gatehouse wing, cottage and boundary wall. The present-day Meeting House was built in 1756 on land acquired for a new meeting house and burial ground. Both the original purpose of the land and the complex are therefore part of the local history. If you’re planning to visit the house, check visiting arrangements in advance.

Churches and other listed buildings

Gildersome Baptist Church and Attached Sunday School on Church Street is also a Grade II listed building. The church dates from 1865; the adjoining Sunday School was added around 1887. These dates mark distinct phases of construction and help distinguish the church from the Sunday School added later. St Peter’s Church was dedicated on 29 June 1992 and is open for services. If you’re planning to attend a service, check the local arrangements for your chosen date. Numbers 58 and 60 (Grove View) on Town Street are another Grade II listed building. The listed buildings mentioned here therefore include more than ecclesiastical architecture.

Village Green: memorial and festival

Gildersome War Memorial stands on the Village Green. The 15-foot-high Cornish granite cenotaph was unveiled in 1923. The Village Green also serves as the focal point of the annual Scarecrow Festival. These are two distinct landmarks: a permanent memorial to local history and a recurring event. If you’re planning your trip around the festival, check the dates for that year’s event in advance.

Sport and the Leeds Country Way

Gildersome’s Multi Use Games Area adds a sporting dimension to the local history. When it opened on 17 June 2022, its facilities included basketball hoops, football goals and cricket stumps; it was also floodlit and designed for year-round use. If you’re planning to play sport there, check the current terms of use in advance.

The Leeds Country Way passes through Gildersome via the large junction and Gelderd Road, and alongside the recreation ground. Along the route, paths run along the edges of fields; the trail descends beside a hedge, crosses the start of a stream and reaches a stile. The route through the village and these specific path features offer two different points of reference for planning: where the trail passes through Gildersome and what landscape features and crossing points are part of the route.

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