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 a very old church in the village of Hornby, Richmondshire in North Yorkshire, England. It's one of six churches that work together in an area called the Benefice of Lower Wensleydale. Some parts of this church are almost 1,000 years old! It's about 6 miles (10 km) south-east of Richmond and 5 miles (8 km) north of Bedale.
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History of St Mary's Church
Imagine walking towards Hornby village a long time ago. You would have seen the church tower standing tall, with Hornby Castle just behind it on a small hill. The village itself grew up around the church. The castle had a great view over the old Hornby Castle Park.
Building Through the Ages
The oldest part of St Mary's Church is its tower, which was built around the year 1080. This makes it a very ancient building! Most of the church was built in the Norman style, which was popular in England after the Norman Conquest.
However, the very top of the tower was added much later, between the 14th and 16th centuries. This part is in the Perpendicular style, which was a different way of building. Other parts of the church were also added over time. For example, a special chapel called a chantry was built in the 1330s.
In 1413, a man named John Conyers helped rebuild parts of the church. More work was done in the 15th and 16th centuries. Later, in 1877, the church got another big update. This was paid for by Fanny Georgiana, who was the Duchess of Leeds and lived in the nearby Hornby Castle.
Special Features and Art
The church has special windows in its upper walls, called a clerestory, which are in the Perpendicular style. The north side of the church has windows in the Decorated style.
Inside, you can see old stone statues, called effigies, from the 14th century. These are in the main part of the church and in the side chapels. The font, which is a large bowl used for baptisms, was given to the church in the 1780s.
One chapel in the church is known as The Holderness Chapel. This is because several families who settled in Hornby after the Norman Conquest came from a place called Holderness. This chapel has many memorials and effigies belonging to these families.
St Mary's Church is very important for its history and architecture. Because of this, it was given a special status in 1969. It is now a Grade I listed building, which means it's considered a building of exceptional interest.
The churchyard also holds a special place. It has five burial plots for soldiers from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Four of these graves are for people who died in the Catterick Bridge Explosion in 1944.
The Church Today
St Mary's Church is part of the Benefice of Lower Wensleydale. This group includes five other churches: St Andrew's Finghall, St Gregory's Crakehall, St Michael Spennithorne, St Oswald's Hauxwell, and St Patrick's in Patrick Brompton.
The area that St Mary's Church serves, called its parish, includes the villages of Hornby and Hackforth, and a small group of houses called Arrathorne. In 2017, about 20 people attended church services each week on average.
Who Has Led the Church?
People have been leading St Mary's Church as vicars for a very long time. Records show vicars serving here as far back as 1274! One interesting person who served here was Reverend Mark James Pattison. He was the father of Sister Dora, a famous nurse who helped many people.
