Church of St Alkelda, Giggleswick facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Alkelda's Church |
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| Church of St Alkelda, Giggleswick | |
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| 54°04′19″N 2°17′20″W / 54.072°N 2.289°W | |
| OS grid reference | SD813642 |
| Location | Giggleswick, North Yorkshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Weekly attendance | 40 (2018) |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Alkelda |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Architectural type | Early English Perpendicular |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 132 feet (40 m) |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Giggleswick |
| Benefice | Settle |
| Deanery | Bowland and Ewecross |
| Archdeaconry | Richmond and Craven |
| Diocese | Leeds |
The Church of St Alkelda, Giggleswick is an Anglican church in the village of Giggleswick, North Yorkshire, England. It's named after a little-known Saxon princess called Alkelda. For a long time, St Alkelda's was the main church for the wider area of Giggleswick. It's still used for worship today.
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A Look Back in Time
People believe a church has stood here since Saxon times, which is a very long time ago! The church you see today was mostly built in the 1300s and 1400s. It has been updated and repaired many times since then.
Some people think an earlier church on this spot was destroyed by Scottish raiders around 1319. The first time a church in Giggleswick was written about was in 1160.
Who Was St Alkelda?
St Alkelda's Church is one of only two churches in England named after this Saxon princess. The other is in Middleham, also in North Yorkshire. Stories say Alkelda was killed by two Danish women during the Viking invasions.
Her name might come from Halig Keld, which means "holy spring". There was once a holy spring in Giggleswick that fed a lake called Giggleswick Tarn. It's possible the church was named after this special spring.
Another idea is that the church in Giggleswick was connected to the one in Middleham. Alkelda is thought to be buried in Middleham. Maybe the Giggleswick church became like a smaller branch of the Middleham church a very long time ago.
Church and School Connections
In 1507, some land was set aside to build a "grammar school for boys" right next to the church. Students and teachers from Giggleswick School used to attend services at St Alkelda's. They even paid for gas lights so they could have services later in the day!
The school helped pay for a big renovation of the church in 1880. This connection continued until 1901, when the school opened its own chapel.
Church Style and Features
The church's design mixes two old English styles: Early English and Perpendicular. It's described as a "spacious and handsome" building with a tall, square tower.
Most of the stained glass windows are from the 1400s. However, a newer window was put in during the 2010s. Two church leaders found this window in a storage room. It shows St Alkelda's death and was made between 1920 and 1930.
The church organ was built in 1892 and was fully repaired in 2005.
Modern Updates
In 2020, the church got permission to put solar panels on its roof. This helps the church save energy and be more environmentally friendly. No one objected because you can't see the panels from the ground.
The Churchyard
For many centuries, St Alkelda's churchyard was the only place where people from the parish could be buried. It's thought that thousands of people have been buried here over the years. The famous TV host, Russell Harty, was buried in the churchyard in 1988.
The Church's Area
The first church leaders were mentioned in 1160. Back then, the church was part of the Diocese of York. Over time, it moved to different church areas, finally becoming part of the Diocese of Leeds in 2016.
Even though Settle is the main town nearby, St Alkelda's was always the main church for the area. This changed when a new church was built in Settle in 1838.
The old parish that St Alkelda's was responsible for was huge, covering over 18,500 acres! It included Giggleswick, Langcliffe, Rathmell with Wigglesworth, Settle, and Stainforth. Over time, these other places got their own churches and became separate parishes.
Today, St Alkelda's serves a smaller area called the Parish of Giggleswick. About 40 people attended services there each week in 2018.
Images for kids
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Giggleswick Church, Yorkshire, England (around 1905)
