Church of St Mary the Virgin, Hornby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Hornby |
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| Church of St Mary the Virgin, Hornby | |
St Mary's, Hornby
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 St Mary's Church, Hornby
Location in North Yorkshire
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| 54°20′20″N 1°39′33″W / 54.3388°N 1.6592°W | |
| Location | Hornby, North Yorkshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Weekly attendance | 20 (2017 average) |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Norman Perpendicular Decorated |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Hornby (460226) |
| Benefice | Lower Wensleydale |
| Deanery | Wensley |
| Archdeaconry | Richmond and Craven |
| Diocese | Leeds |
St Mary's Church in Hornby is an old and important church in the village of Hornby, North Yorkshire, England. It's one of six churches in the Lower Wensleydale area. The oldest parts of the building are from the 11th century. The church is about 6 miles (9.7 km) south-east of Richmond and 5 miles (8.0 km) north of Bedale.
Contents
The Church's Long History
Early Beginnings and Design
St Mary's Church has a very long history, with its oldest parts dating back to around 1080. This makes it a truly ancient building! When people approached Hornby village from Richmond in medieval times, they would have seen the church tower standing tall with Hornby Castle behind it. The village itself is built around the church, and the castle sits on a higher spot, looking over what used to be Hornby Castle Park.
In the early 1100s, the church and some land were given to St Mary's Abbey in York. Later, it became a special church that didn't have its own court to decide on church matters, unlike some other churches.
Building Styles and Changes Over Time
The church's tower is the oldest part, built around 1080. Most of the church's main structure was built in the Norman style, which was popular from the 11th to the 12th centuries. However, the very top of the tower was added later, between the 14th and 16th centuries, in a style called Perpendicular.
Some parts of the church were added or changed over many years. For example, a special chapel called a chantry was built in the 1330s. In 1410, there was a plan to build the south arcade, which is a row of arches. The church was rebuilt by John Conyers in 1413. More work was done in the 15th and 16th centuries. It was also renovated again in 1877 by Fanny Georgiana, who was the Duchess of Leeds and lived at the nearby Hornby Castle.
Special Features and Connections
The upper part of the church, called the clerestory, has square windows in the Perpendicular style. The north aisle has windows in the Decorated style. Inside, you can see old statues from the 14th century. The font, which is a basin used for baptisms, was a gift in the 1780s.
The church has a special connection to a place called Holderness in East Riding of Yorkshire. Many families who settled in Hornby after the Norman Conquest came from Holderness. Because of this, one of the chapels in the church is known as The Holderness Chapel. It contains memorials and statues of these families. St Mary's Church was recognized as a Grade I listed building in 1969, meaning it's a very important historical building.
The churchyard also has five burial plots for soldiers from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Four of these graves are for victims of the Catterick Bridge Explosion, which happened in 1944.
Parish Information
Hornby's Church Community
St Mary's Church is part of the Benefice of Lower Wensleydale. This group includes six churches in total. The other five churches are St Andrew's Finghall, St Gregory's Crakehall, St Michael Spennithorne, St Oswald's Hauxwell, and St Patrick's in Patrick Brompton.
The Parish of Hornby (parish code 460226) covers the villages of Hornby and Hackforth, as well as the small village of Arrathorne. In the past, it also included the villages of Ainderby Miers and High Holtby, and was known as a very large parish.
In 2017, about 20 people attended church services each week on average. This number was a little lower than in 2008, when the average was 25 people per week.
Church Leaders (Vicars)
Records of the vicars (the main priests) at St Mary's go back a long way, to 1274. These records come from old church documents and a book called Richmondshire Churches. One interesting fact is that Reverend Mark James Pattison, who was the father of a famous nurse known as Sister Dora, was a curate (a helper priest) at the church for a time.
Historians believe that between 1349 and 1896, there were 31 vicars at St Mary's Church, each serving for about 17.5 years on average.
Images for kids
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St Mary's, Hornby
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in North Yorkshire (district)
- Listed buildings in Hornby, Richmondshire
