▁to ▁the ▁mon ks ▁of ▁Stan law ▁granted ▁them ▁the ▁parish ▁of ▁Wh al ley . ▁Has ling den ▁was ▁recorded ▁as ▁being ▁one ▁of ▁Wh al ley ' s ▁seven ▁independent ▁chap el ries , ▁and ▁was ▁served ▁by ▁two ▁pri ests . ▁The ▁church ▁is ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁highest ▁parish ▁church ▁above ▁sea ▁level ▁in ▁England , ▁and ▁locally ▁has ▁been ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁' top ▁church ' ▁by ▁reason ▁of ▁its ▁domin ating ▁position . ▁▁ ▁St . ▁James ▁now ▁s its ▁well ▁to ▁the ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁town ▁centre , ▁but ▁until ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s ▁it ▁was ▁adjacent ▁to ▁the ▁' Top ▁of ▁the ▁Town ' ▁- ▁the ▁area ▁between ▁Town ▁Gate ▁and ▁Church ▁Street , ▁and ▁the ▁old ▁centre ▁of ▁Has ling den . ▁This ▁was ▁an ▁area ▁containing ▁several ▁public ▁house ▁drink ing ▁places , ▁the ▁original ▁market , ▁the ▁town ▁stock s , ▁and ▁Mars den ▁Square , ▁where ▁trav elling ▁shows ▁pitch ed ▁their ▁t ents . ▁Clear ance ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 2 ▁and ▁the ▁area ▁is ▁now ▁largely ▁housing . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁west ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁church ▁entrance ▁is ▁a ▁large ▁Pl ague ▁Stone , ▁with ▁two ▁car ved ▁holes . ▁There ▁is ▁some ▁uncertainty ▁about ▁its ▁exact ▁purpose , ▁but ▁most ▁opinion ▁is ▁that ▁such ▁stones ▁were ▁used ▁in ▁times ▁of ▁pl ague ▁to ▁enable ▁food ▁( or ▁other ▁al ms ) ▁to ▁be ▁offered ▁to ▁pl ague ▁vict ims ▁while ▁avoid ing ▁direct