All Souls Church was designed by Paley and Austin and built in 1878-81. Paley and Austin were one of the most prolific church architects, designing some of the most impressive Gothic Revival churches. All Souls was paid for by the Greenhalgh brothers, who were mill owners with a strong evangelical faith. The church was designed to seat about 800 worshippers, all of whom would have had an excellent view due to the lack of columns. The church was designed so that the congregation were able to hear the sermon clearly.

To read more about Paley and Austin visit Lancashire Pioneers - Paley and Austin

All Souls is a fine example of Victorian church building at a time when the industrial population was growing. In 1773 only 5339 people lived in Bolton- by 1821 the town had grown to over 30,000. The parish of All Souls was created in 1879 to serve a growing population from the mills and terraced streets that housed the workforce. By the middle of the twentieth century, the cotton industry had declined and in 1962 the parish was combined with St James, Waterloo Street. As time went by, the congregation got smaller and All Souls was closed. In 1986 the church was vested in the Churches Conservation Trust, who look after historic churches no longer needed for worship.