St Andrew's Church, East Heslerton
Encyclopedia
St Andrew's Church, East Heslerton, is a redundant
Anglican
church at the south end of the village of East Heslerton
, North Yorkshire
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
.
, and designed by the architect G. E. Street
. It has not been changed since, and is "notable for being a complete survival of a Street design, without alteration and with fittings intact". The church was vested
in the Trust on 8 October 2002.
ashlar
. The spire is roofed in stone slates, and the rest of the church in red tiles. Its plan consists of a five-bay
nave
with a porch, a south baptistry projecting at the western end, a chancel
at a higher level with a vestry
to its north, and a north tower. The porch is open, forming a narthex
, and is supported on grey stone columns with foliated capitals
. The tower is in two stages with angle buttress
es and has a stair turret
on its northwest. The lower stage is square with a west door and three stepped lancet window
s on the north side. The upper stage is octagonal and contains four louvred
lancet bell openings, between which are statues under trefoil
-headed canopies
. The statues are representations of Saint Ambrose
, Saint Augustine
, Saint Gregory
, and Saint Jerome
, the four Latin Fathers
, by James Redfern
. They were originally intended for the north porch of Bristol Cathedral
but the dean said they were papist
and they were rescued by Street. The spire is also octagonal, and contains lucarne
s and quatrefoil windows in roundels, with a wrought iron
cross on its summit. It is 105 feet (32 m) high. The chancel has an apse
and contains lancet windows; it also has a wrought iron cross on the summit of its roof. The vestry has an east window of five stepped lancets.
and two piscina
e, all with trefoil heads. The font
has an octagonal bowl standing on a pedestal
of clustered columns. Its cover is decorated with wrought ironwork. The pulpit
is in Caen stone
and marble
. The altarpiece is a painted polyptych
depicting the Te Deum
. Between the nave and chancel is a wrought iron screen with gates in the centre. The chancel is floored with encaustic tile
s. All the stained glass is by Clayton and Bell
. The window behind the organ depicts the Creation, and the west window the Nativity
. The pews are in oak, and the floor of the nave is boarded in oak. The ring
consists of three bells, cast in 1876–77 by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough
.
and the wall, which completely encircles the churchyard, were designed by Street, and both are constructed in sandstone ashlar. Over the lychgate is a gable
d roof, with a cross on its north end. In the churchyard is a cross, also designed by Street and in sandstone ashlar. It is circular in plan and consists of a fluted
shaft on a base of three steps, carrying a foliated cross under a crocket
ed, gabled canopy. Also in the churchyard is a wrought iron lamppost and lamp, both of which are elaborately decorated. Although the church is under the care of the Trust, these three items are still owned by the parish
.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church at the south end of the village of East Heslerton
East Heslerton
East Heslerton is a village, near Malton in North Yorkshire, England.-The church of Saint Andrew:The church was designed by George Edmund Street commissioned by Sir Tatton Sykes of Sledmere House. Work started in 1873 and St Andrew’s was completed in 1877...
, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England. It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade I listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
.
History
The present church is the third to be constructed on the site. It was built in 1877 by Sir Tatton Sykes of Sledmere HouseSledmere House
Sledmere House is a Grade I listed Georgian country house, containing Chippendale, Sheraton and French furnishings and many fine pictures, set within a park designed by Capability Brown. It is located in the village of Sledmere, between Driffield and Malton, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England...
, and designed by the architect G. E. Street
George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street was an English architect, born at Woodford in Essex.- Life :Street was the third son of Thomas Street, solicitor, by his second wife, Mary Anne Millington. George went to school at Mitcham in about 1830, and later to the Camberwell collegiate school, which he left in 1839...
. It has not been changed since, and is "notable for being a complete survival of a Street design, without alteration and with fittings intact". The church was vested
Vesting
In law, vesting is to give an immediately secured right of present or future enjoyment. One has a vested right to an asset that cannot be taken away by any third party, even though one may not yet possess the asset. When the right, interest or title to the present or future possession of a legal...
in the Trust on 8 October 2002.
Exterior
St Andrew's is constructed in sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
. The spire is roofed in stone slates, and the rest of the church in red tiles. Its plan consists of a five-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
with a porch, a south baptistry projecting at the western end, a chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
at a higher level with a vestry
Vestry
A vestry is a room in or attached to a church or synagogue in which the vestments, vessels, records, etc., are kept , and in which the clergy and choir robe or don their vestments for divine service....
to its north, and a north tower. The porch is open, forming a narthex
Narthex
The narthex of a church is the entrance or lobby area, located at the end of the nave, at the far end from the church's main altar. Traditionally the narthex was a part of the church building, but was not considered part of the church proper...
, and is supported on grey stone columns with foliated capitals
Capital (architecture)
In architecture the capital forms the topmost member of a column . It mediates between the column and the load thrusting down upon it, broadening the area of the column's supporting surface...
. The tower is in two stages with angle buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es and has a stair turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
on its northwest. The lower stage is square with a west door and three stepped lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s on the north side. The upper stage is octagonal and contains four louvred
Louver
A louver or louvre , from the French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a window, blind or shutter with horizontal slats that are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise...
lancet bell openings, between which are statues under trefoil
Trefoil
Trefoil is a graphic form composed of the outline of three overlapping rings used in architecture and Christian symbolism...
-headed canopies
Canopy (building)
A canopy is an overhead roof or else a structure over which a fabric or metal covering is attached, able to provide shade or shelter. A canopy can also be a tent, generally without a floor....
. The statues are representations of Saint Ambrose
Ambrose
Aurelius Ambrosius, better known in English as Saint Ambrose , was a bishop of Milan who became one of the most influential ecclesiastical figures of the 4th century. He was one of the four original doctors of the Church.-Political career:Ambrose was born into a Roman Christian family between about...
, Saint Augustine
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo , also known as Augustine, St. Augustine, St. Austin, St. Augoustinos, Blessed Augustine, or St. Augustine the Blessed, was Bishop of Hippo Regius . He was a Latin-speaking philosopher and theologian who lived in the Roman Africa Province...
, Saint Gregory
Pope Gregory I
Pope Gregory I , better known in English as Gregory the Great, was pope from 3 September 590 until his death...
, and Saint Jerome
Jerome
Saint Jerome was a Roman Christian priest, confessor, theologian and historian, and who became a Doctor of the Church. He was the son of Eusebius, of the city of Stridon, which was on the border of Dalmatia and Pannonia...
, the four Latin Fathers
Church Fathers
The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were early and influential theologians, eminent Christian teachers and great bishops. Their scholarly works were used as a precedent for centuries to come...
, by James Redfern
James Redfern
James Frank Redfern , sculptor, was born at Hartington in Derbyshire, in 1838. He is best known for works incorporated into Gothic churches, including Salisbury Cathedral and Gloucester Cathedral...
. They were originally intended for the north porch of Bristol Cathedral
Bristol Cathedral
The Cathedral Church of the Holy and Undivided Trinity is the Church of England cathedral in the city of Bristol, England, and is commonly known as Bristol Cathedral...
but the dean said they were papist
Papist
Papist is a term or an anti-Catholic slur, referring to the Roman Catholic Church, its teachings, practices, or adherents. The term was coined during the English Reformation to denote a person whose loyalties were to the Pope, rather than to the Church of England...
and they were rescued by Street. The spire is also octagonal, and contains lucarne
Lucarne
A lucarne is a small dormer window that is built on a spire or roof during the Gothic and Romanesque time period....
s and quatrefoil windows in roundels, with a wrought iron
Wrought iron
thumb|The [[Eiffel tower]] is constructed from [[puddle iron]], a form of wrought ironWrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon...
cross on its summit. It is 105 feet (32 m) high. The chancel has an apse
Apse
In architecture, the apse is a semicircular recess covered with a hemispherical vault or semi-dome...
and contains lancet windows; it also has a wrought iron cross on the summit of its roof. The vestry has an east window of five stepped lancets.
Interior
All the original fittings and furniture have survived intact. In the chancel are a double sediliaSedilia
Sedilia , in ecclesiastical architecture, is the term used to describe stone seats, usually to be found on the south side of an altar, often in the chancel, for the use of the officiating priests...
and two piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
e, all with trefoil heads. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
has an octagonal bowl standing on a pedestal
Pedestal
Pedestal is a term generally applied to the support of a statue or a vase....
of clustered columns. Its cover is decorated with wrought ironwork. The pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
is in Caen stone
Caen stone
Caen stone or Pierre de Caen, is a light creamy-yellow Jurassic limestone quarried in northwestern France near the city of Caen.The limestone is a fine grained oolitic limestone formed in shallow water lagoons in the Bathonian Age about 167 million years ago...
and marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
. The altarpiece is a painted polyptych
Polyptych
A polyptych generally refers to a painting which is divided into sections, or panels. The terminology that follows is in relevance to the number of panels integrated into a particular piece of work: "diptych" describes a two-part work of art; "triptych" describes a three-part work; "tetraptych"...
depicting the Te Deum
Te Deum
The Te Deum is an early Christian hymn of praise. The title is taken from its opening Latin words, Te Deum laudamus, rendered literally as "Thee, O God, we praise"....
. Between the nave and chancel is a wrought iron screen with gates in the centre. The chancel is floored with encaustic tile
Encaustic tile
Encaustic tiles are ceramic tiles in which the pattern or figure on the surface is not a product of the glaze but of different colors of clay. They are usually of two colors but a tile may be composed of as many as six. The pattern is inlaid into the body of the tile, so that the design remains as...
s. All the stained glass is by Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell
Clayton and Bell was one of the most prolific and proficient workshops of English stained glass during the latter half of the 19th century. The partners were John Richard Clayton and Alfred Bell . The company was founded in 1855 and continued until 1993...
. The window behind the organ depicts the Creation, and the west window the Nativity
Nativity of Jesus
The Nativity of Jesus, or simply The Nativity, refers to the accounts of the birth of Jesus in two of the Canonical gospels and in various apocryphal texts....
. The pews are in oak, and the floor of the nave is boarded in oak. The ring
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
consists of three bells, cast in 1876–77 by John Taylor & Co of Loughborough
Loughborough
Loughborough is a town within the Charnwood borough of Leicestershire, England. It is the seat of Charnwood Borough Council and is home to Loughborough University...
.
External features
In and around the churchyard are three items, all dating from 1877, and all listed Grade II. The lychgateLychgate
A lychgate, also spelled lichgate, lycugate, or as two separate words lych gate, is a gateway covered with a roof found at the entrance to a traditional English or English-style churchyard.-Name:...
and the wall, which completely encircles the churchyard, were designed by Street, and both are constructed in sandstone ashlar. Over the lychgate is a gable
Gable
A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system being used and aesthetic concerns. Thus the type of roof enclosing the volume dictates the shape of the gable...
d roof, with a cross on its north end. In the churchyard is a cross, also designed by Street and in sandstone ashlar. It is circular in plan and consists of a fluted
Fluting
Fluting may refer to:*Fluting *Fluting *Fluting *Fluting...
shaft on a base of three steps, carrying a foliated cross under a crocket
Crocket
A crocket is a hook-shaped decorative element common in Gothic architecture. It is in the form of a stylised carving of curled leaves, buds or flowers which is used at regular intervals to decorate the sloping edges of spires, finials, pinnacles, and wimpergs....
ed, gabled canopy. Also in the churchyard is a wrought iron lamppost and lamp, both of which are elaborately decorated. Although the church is under the care of the Trust, these three items are still owned by the parish
Parish
A parish is a territorial unit historically under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of one parish priest, who might be assisted in his pastoral duties by a curate or curates - also priests but not the parish priest - from a more or less central parish church with its associated organization...
.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in North YorkshireGrade I listed buildings in North YorkshireThere are approximately 372,905 listed buildings in England and 2.5% of these are Grade I. This page is a list of these buildings in the county of North Yorkshire, by district.-Craven:-Hambleton:-Harrogate:-Middlesbrough:-Redcar & Cleveland:...
- List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in Northern England