Church of All Saints, Skipsea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Church of All Saints, Skipsea |
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| All Saints Church | |
All Saints, Skipsea
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| 53°58′37″N 0°13′26″W / 53.977°N 0.224°W | |
| OS grid reference | TA165549 |
| Location | Skipsea, East Riding of Yorkshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Skipsea |
| Benefice | Hornsea, Atwick and Skipsea |
| Deanery | Holderness North |
| Archdeaconry | East Riding |
| Diocese | York |
The Church of All Saints is an old church in the village of Skipsea, England. It's in the East Riding of Yorkshire. This church was built a very long time ago, around the late 1000s or early 1100s. It was connected to Skipsea Castle, which was just to the west. A special path, called a causeway, used to link the church to the castle across a lake called Skipsea Bail Mere. Even after the castle was taken down around 1221, the church kept serving the people of Skipsea.
The church has parts that are Norman style, which is very old. But most of it is in a style called Perpendicular architecture. The tower still shows it was built with "cobbles." These were rounded stones found on the beaches nearby. Today, All Saints Church is a very important historical building, listed as grade I listed. It's located at the west end of Skipsea, on the road to Beeford.
Contents
History of All Saints Church
How the Church Began
The Church of All Saints was built in the late 1000s. It was for the people living in Skipsea Castle and the village that grew around it. The first church was likely made mostly from cobbles. Odo, the Duke of Albemarle, is thought to have built it around 1090. The whole church was rebuilt in the 1300s. Cobbles were smooth, round stones from the beaches in the Holderness area. People used them to build many buildings, especially churches, during the Middle Ages.
In 1115, the "church of the castle at Skipsea" was given to a monastery called Aumale. This gift came from Earl Stephen. Other churches in nearby villages were also given to the monastery. Even when the castle was ordered to be destroyed in the early 1200s, the church was saved.
Changes Over Time
When the Albemarle family no longer owned the land, the church's ownership went back to the King around 1294. King Edward I then gave the church to Meaux Abbey in 1305. When it was first built, the church stood on a small hill between the castle and the growing village. This area is now part of the B1249 road. Back then, the sea was over an hour's walk away. But because the coast has worn away over time, the church and village are now very close to the coastline.
While Meaux Abbey owned the church, its roof was fixed twice in the 1300s. Beautiful stained glass windows were also put in around that time. In the 1400s, a new upper section of walls with windows, called a clerestory, was added. All the church's windows got new glass then too. The church was first officially called All Saints or All Hallows in the year 1500.
What the Church Looks Like
The church has a tower at the west end, a main hall called a nave, and a special area for the altar called a chancel. It also has two side sections, or aisles, on the north and south. Both aisles have clerestories. You can still see parts of the original Norman design. However, the oldest large parts, like the east window and the nave, are from the 1300s. Most of the church is in the Perpendicular style. The roof of the nave and the clerestory have a special "embattled" design, like the top of a castle wall. The tower still looks much like it did originally.
Modern Renovations
The chancel was rebuilt in 1824. Three years later, the roof of the nave was fixed. A local church leader, Reverend J Gilby, paid for most of these repairs. He made sure the inside walls were fixed, but kept the outside walls looking old. More big repairs costing £1,400 happened in July 1866. During these repairs, a screen that separated the nave from the chancel was removed. A new font (for baptisms) and a desk were also added. The architect, James Fowler, gave the desk as a gift.
In 1866, a porch was added to the south side. Later, a vestry (a room for clergy) was added in 1874. The tower was repaired in 1893 and again in 1932. The tower looks square, but it's actually wider from north to south than from east to west. It shows off its Perpendicular style. We don't know exactly when the tower lost its embattled top, but it was gone by the late 1800s.
Parish and Community
In 1835, the church was recorded as being dedicated to All Saints. It served a population of 726 people. The Archbishop of York had the right to choose the church's priest. The village of Skipsea itself had just over 300 people. The larger number included people from the whole surrounding area, called the parish.
For a while, the nearby village of Ulrome was a separate parish. However, their church didn't have burial rights. So, the people of Ulrome had to pay Skipsea to bury their dead there. Before the 1700s, Ulrome was divided between the parishes of Barmston and Skipsea.
Stained Glass and Location
The church has many beautiful stained glass windows. There are three windows at the west end and in the nave. The east end has a large four-light window. This window was added during one of the 1800s renovations. It now serves as a memorial to the people from the parish who died in the First World War. It shows St George, a dragon, and angels holding a scroll with the names of the fallen.
The church sits on a small hill, about 8 meters (26 feet) above sea level. It looks out over what used to be Skipsea Bail Mere. This body of water helped protect the castle. It was later drained so the land could be used for farming. A causeway to the north, across the mere, connected the church (and later the vicarage) to the castle area. This causeway has mostly disappeared today. However, maps from the early 1900s still show where it was. The church was officially listed as a Grade I building in 1966, meaning it's a very important historical site.
Church Administration
All Saints is the main church for the area known as the ecclesiastical parish of Skipsea. It is part of a larger group of churches called the Benefice of Hornsea, Atwick and Skipsea.
