It had been the intention of John Holt J.P of Stubylee to erect a church in the area of Lee Mill. His son James Maden Holt M.A J.P was on the rebuilding committee for St Johns church the h in Bacup. When the scheme for rebuilding the church failed James decided to go ahead and build his own church having obtained the necessary permissions. To begin with  services were held in the old mill at Rockliffe pictured below left whilst the erection of the school at Lumb Hall was being undertaken. The first services being held here in 1854 the same year as Christ church was being built. The accommodation in the old mill was very primitive the seating being planks laid upon bricks and the floor was covered with sawdust. They worshipped in this mill for four years until in 1858 the congregation moved from the the old mill to the upper rooms of the school building. The first vicar was the Rev William Whitworth pictured below right who came from St Judes, Ancoats, Manchester he remained until August, 1869 when he resigned to resume the vicariate of St Mary's Rawtenstall.

The next step was to build a parsonage so as to give the practising clergymen somewhere to live and in 1860 Mr Whitworth moved in to the new premises. The building of the church now took place and St Saviours Church  was consecrated by the Rt Rev. Bishop James Prince Lee on January 23rd 1865. The cost of the erection of the church, schools and vicarage was borne entirely by the  Mr J Maden Holt, M.A of Stubylee Hall, and amounted to  £8.000, £2.000 and £1.400 exclusive of the value of the sites.

The parish of St saviours extends from Britannia to Cemetery Terrace including the whole of Lee Wood it embraces a high portion of  Higher and Lower Rockliffe, Sheephouse and Newline. The Rev W Johnson, M.A pictured below succeeded Rev Whit and remained at St Saviours until his death in his 81st year , on Decemberorth 6th 1916. He was succeeded by the Rev  A.G. Townsend, M.A. in March 1917, but only stayed for a very brief period, and in 1918 the Rev A. A. Giles M.A. of Manchester was appointed vicar.

Mr Maden Holts sister Emily Sarah Holt was a noted authoress one of her books being  " Protestant Tales from the reformation". Her ashes repose in the family vault of St Saviours Churchyard along with those of her brother and Mrs Maden Holt.

The bells of St Saviours were added to the church in 1887 at a cost of £600.00 for the eight bells. Names the Jubilee Bells they were to celebrate the Jubilee of Queen Victoria.