The parish church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity, Ossett, is situated on a plateau, some 300ft above sea level, amid 5½ acres of land. The spire on top of the central tower rises to a height of 226ft - one of the tallest in Yorkshire.

The town has been served by a church of its own since at least 1409. The previous structure, built in 1806 and demolished sixty years later, stood in the market place. Formerly located in the ancient parish of Dewsbury, Ossett was declared a separate parochial district in 1858.

In 1862 Benjamin Ingham, Her Majesty’s Consul in Sicily and a native of Ossett, subscribed £1,000 towards the construction of a church more suited to the needs of a rapidly industrialising community. Space constraints necessitated a wholesale relocation: the new edifi ce was to be erected alongside the graveyard laid out on the edge of town in 1861. The architect in charge, William Henry Crossland of Halifax, was a pupil of Sir George Gilbert Scott, whose Gothic Revival infl uence is apparent throughout. On 30 June 1862, the foundation stone was laid by the vicar, Reverend Thomas Lee, who also placed the final stone on top of the steeple in May 1865. Though initially estimated at £8,000, alterations and additions to the original plans ensured that the final cost of construction amounted to at least £16,000. Such was the scale of the project that, during the consecration service of 14 July 1865, the Bishop of Ripon made reference to ‘this miniature cathedral’ (Ossett stood in the Diocese of Ripon from 1836 until the Diocese of Wakefield was created in 1888).

The Church Built from Yorkshire stone, the church takes the form of a Roman cross measuring 145ft in length and 56ft in width internally, with transepts 11ft in depth. ‘The style of architecture is English Gothic, of the early second pointed or geometrical period’, intoned The Ossett Observer during the week of consecration. The height of the nave from fl oor to roof ridge is 67ft. The nave arcade shafts are of alternate red and blue polished Aberdeen granite surmounted by richly carved capitals. Seating was provided for 1,000. ‘The whole interior, wherever the eye is turned, presents something to admire’, enthused The Wakefi eld Express.

Stained glass features in all the windows except those of the nave clerestory. Messrs O’Connor of London, leading 19th-century exponents of the art, were responsible for both the East Window (gifted by Benjamin Ingham of Palermo) and the West Window (funded by the Whitaker family of Ossett). The former portrays the crucifi xion and the descent from the cross whilst the latter illustrates events subsequent to the Resurrection. Messrs Clayton and Bell produced the north transept window depicting the Annunciation to the Shepherds, along with those at the western ends of the two nave aisles. The great south transept window contains scenes from the life of the Virgin Mary, whilst the nave aisle windows detail events from both the Old Testament (south aisle) and the New Testament (north aisle). The octagonal pulpit adorned with images of the four Evangelists and St Paul, the carved reredos depicting the Last Supper, and the circular font bearing the emblems of the Gospel writers were crafted in Caen stone.

Among the relics retrieved from previous structures are the Royal Arms mounted above the west porch, the font of 1713 located in front of the pulpit and the commemorative stone removed from the 1806 church tower and now preserved in the south porch.

The north transept houses the organ. Built by Isaac Abbott of Leeds in 1886 and rebuilt by Abbott and Smith in 1927 it was partially restored in 2000/01. The central tower originally housed eight bells gifted by Benjamin Ingham and Mrs Joshua Whitaker and cast, at a cost of £800, by John Taylor and Company of Loughborough in 1864. Received with great ceremony at Flushdyke railway station in June 1865, the bells proceeded to their new home via The Cooper’s Arms and The George Inn, at which establishments the accompanying bandsmen met with favourable treatment in the matter of liquid refreshment. These same bells were recast by their founders in 1934 and rededicated as part of a new ten bell peal. A four-faced clock, funded by public subscription, was installed in the tower in 1866.

In 1989, at a cost of £120,000, the Centre was built in the grounds. In 1996 the church buildingwas awarded a Grade II listing. Elevated to Grade II* in 1998 which now puts it among the top 6% of listed buildings nationwide.

In 2001 English Heritage granted £190,000 towards the renewal of two-thirds of the roof slates. Thanks to this and associated improvements, the building was removed from the English Heritage ‘at risk’ register in 2003. Since then all of the roofs have been replaced, along with all the ceilings. Repairs to the windows and walls have taken place and later in 2008 it is planned to install underfloor heating and reorder the inside so that the building can be used every day of the week and better serve both the local and regional community.