Church History

It is believed that the site of Otley (All Saints) Parish Church may have been consecrated as early as the 2nd century AD when Christianity first came to Britain. The earliest evidence of Christian worship are fragments of Anglian crosses (now on display in the church), the oldest being dated at about 750 AD. These crosses will have been used as focal points for Christian gatherings before church buildings were erected.

The first church building on the site was Anglo Saxon but only the foundations still remain. A Norman church was built over those foundations during the 11th century, and this forms the present day chancel. It was enlarged in about 1240 by the addition of a wide nave, a north and south transept and a plain un-buttressed tower. Further additions and modifications took place during later centuries, including the magnificent stained-glass East Window in 1851.

Here are links to a few articles with more details about the church's history:

Anglian Cross Pieces

Carved stone pieces found on site and evidence of early Christian worship here

Church History Tour

Church plan with some items of interest highlighted

Church Reordering 2016

Slide show about the latest transformation of this ancient building

The Fairfax Tomb

A large tomb in the south transept, of Thomas Fairfax and his wife Ellen

The Navvies Memorial

An impressive churchyard monument in memory of those who died during construction of the Bramhope Tunnel

Two Churchyard Memorials

The story behind two interesting objects in the churchyard

Weston Estate Family Church

The history of this church plant which ministered to those living on the north side of the town in the 1960s to the 1990s

Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click here to see more.

Visitors click here.

Planning your Visit

A Warm Welcome!

OPC in Springtime The following information is specifically for those planning a visit on a Sunday morning, so that you know, beforehand, what to expect. You are also welcome to visit the church building during the week for private prayer or simply to look round. It is normally open from 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday.

Where and When: We meet at Otley Parish Church (map here) for our Sunday Service starting at 10:30am. The church is 2 minutes walk from Otley Bus Station. On-street parking is limited, but there is a small, public (free) carpark opposite the church on Burras Lane. Nearby is Sainsbury's who also allow parking up to 4 hours. When you arrive, you should be greeted by someone on our Welcome Team who will be wearing a Welcome lanyard.

Refreshments: We serve tea, coffee and biscuits after the 10:30am service and you are most welcome to stay for this. It is a great way to meet people, or simply take time to look around the ancient building. All refreshments are free.

Accessibility: The main part of the church is fully accessible, and there is a hearing loop for anyone who needs it. For the main service there are no service books since everything is displayed on screen. Do let us know if you find this difficult since we aim to have some large print material available. Please let one of the Welcome Team know on your arrival and they will help you to get set up. We have flexible seating and can accommodate wheelchair users to suit their needs. There is a disabled toilet in the south entrance foyer and further toilets up the stairs.

Our Services: The main Sunday service begins at 10.30am and lasts between 60 and 90 minutes. See our Main Sunday Service page for details of the monthly pattern of services. You can also view services on our YouTube Channel to get a taste of what happens.

See our Other Services page for details of other weekly and monthly services.

What about my children?

One sevice a month (3rd Sunday) is usually all-age where everyone is together and the format is child friendly. For other Sundays we have special provision for children and young people:

Sunday Club - Separate groups for those from age 1 to the end of Primary School
OPC Youth - For those in school years 7 to 10

Children stay with their parent or grown-up at the start of the service for the welcome and the opening song before they are invited to go to their various groups. Children going out need to be registered before the service as part of our child safety policy.

The kids group activities vary depending on the age but usually there is a friendly welcome, bible stories, praying, music, craft, drama, fun games and free play. Please pick your children up later in the service when an announcement is given.

There is much more going on during the week at Otley Parish Church which you can see on the Church Calendar.

Get in touch with us if you would like any more information:

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:
Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

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Church History

Planning your Visit

A Warm Welcome!

What about my children?

Get in touch with us if you would like any more information:

Name:

Telephone:

Email Address:

Comments / Questions or anything you would like to say?

We will contact you by email to say hello and help answer any questions.

Note that the Church Office is only staffed on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, so a reply may not be immediate!