gomersal was known in anglian times as "guthmers hahl", ("hahl" means a nook or corner of land). the location was at a bend in the brook which passes through the valley bottom before joining with the river calder. this land became an anglo-saxon burial ground and most likely was the location of a celtic temple site before the roman conquest. it became the site of the parish church of st peter and st paul, now known as st peters. the brook formed the ancient boundary between gomersal and birstall.