Church of St Patrick, Patrick Brompton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Patrick's Church |
|
|---|---|
| Church of St Patrick, Patrick Brompton | |
Church of St Patrick, Patrick Brompton
|
|
 St Patrick's Church
Location in North Yorkshire
|
|
| 54°18′41″N 1°39′53″W / 54.3114°N 1.6646°W | |
| OS grid reference | SE219907 |
| Location | Patrick Brompton, North Yorkshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Weekly attendance | 25 (2017) |
| History | |
| Status | Active |
| Dedication | St Patrick |
| Architecture | |
| Style | Early English |
| Specifications | |
| Bells | 3 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Patrick Brompton (460432) |
| Benefice | Lower Wensleydale |
| Deanery | Wensley |
| Archdeaconry | Richmond and Craven |
| Diocese | Leeds |
The Church of St Patrick is an old and important church. It serves the village of Patrick Brompton in North Yorkshire, England. This church is one of six in the Lower Wensleydale area. The oldest parts of the building are very ancient, dating back to the 11th century.
It is about 6 miles (10 km) south-east of Richmond. It is also 4 miles (6 km) north of Bedale. This church is special because it is one of only two churches in Yorkshire named after St Patrick.
Contents
Discovering St Patrick's Church History
How Old is St Patrick's Church?
People first wrote about a church in Patrick Brompton in the 12th century. But experts think there was a place of worship here even earlier. The church you see today was mostly built between the 12th and 14th centuries. Over the years, some changes and additions have been made.
In 1864, the church was restored, meaning it was repaired and updated. Today, it is a grade I listed building. This means it is a very important historic building.
Why is it Called St Patrick's?
This church is one of only two Anglican churches in Yorkshire dedicated to St Patrick. The other is St Patrick's Church, Patrington. The name "St Patrick" was first used for this church in 1230.
Some people believe the church was named after Ghile Patraic. He was an important landowner around the time of the Norman Conquest. There used to be a carved space in the church that held a statue of St Patrick.
What Does the Church Look Like Inside?
The church has two aisles, which are passages on either side of the main area called the nave. It also has a chancel facing east, which is the part of the church where the altar is. A small room called a vestry is to the north. There is a porch to the south, near the tower at the west end.
Most of the inside of the church is from the 12th century. The main walls were built in the 14th century. The porch and the tower are newer additions. Much of the church's design is in a style called Early English. The chancel, however, is in the Decorated style.
The church is mostly built from sandstone. Its roof is made of Westmorland slates. Its grand design was unusual for a church in a quiet village. This might be because it was supported by St Mary's Abbey in York.
The Church Tower and Bells
The tower you see today was built in the 19th century. It replaced an older tower from 1577. That tower had replaced an even older steeple. The steeple was blown down during a big storm. There are different ideas about when this storm happened, either in 1577 or 1672.
The Victorian builders gave the new tower a pyramid-shaped roof. Some people thought this roof didn't look good with the rest of the church. One writer even called it "a deformity."
The tower holds three bells. They are dated 1400, 1686, and 1703. The bell from 1686 has a special message carved on it. It says, Pervvla per magnam prebabat cima rviam i place. This roughly means "a very little crack caused great ruin." It is thought to refer to the steeple being destroyed in the storm.
Ancient Arrow Sharpening Marks
If you look closely at the north-east end of the church, you can still see marks on the stone. These marks were made by archers who sharpened their arrows there. This happened between 1100 and 1500. Kings often ordered men in parishes to practice their archery on holy days. This was so they would be ready for war if needed.
Exploring the Churchyard
The churchyard is the area around the church. It has several old gravestones that are also listed historic structures. There is a special memorial here for people from the parish who died in the First World War. You can also find two Commonwealth war graves.
Near the porch door, there is an eight-sided stone column. On top of it is a sundial. The sundial has the name Geoge Smythes, Bedal carved into it. It also mentions Newfoundland and Maryland. This sundial is thought to remember people from the parish who went to live as settlers in the New World.
Understanding Parish Details
The Church of St Patrick is part of the Benefice of Lower Wensleydale. A benefice is a group of churches that share a vicar. There are six churches in this group.
The other five churches are:
- St Andrews Finghall
- St Gregory's Crakehall
- St Michael Spennithorne
- St Oswald's Hauxwell
- St Mary's church in Hornby
The Parish of Patrick Brompton (parish code 460432) includes the villages of Hunton and Newton-le-Willows. In 2017, about 25 people attended the church each week. This number was a bit lower than in 2008, when about 35 people attended weekly.
Church Leaders (Clergy)
The leaders of the church, called vicars, have been recorded for a very long time. Records show vicars at St Patrick's going back as far as the year 1300.
