St Andrew's Church, Aysgarth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Andrew's Church, Aysgarth |
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St Andrew's Church, Aysgarth
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| 54°17′31.64″N 1°58′59.04″W / 54.2921222°N 1.9830667°W | |
| Location | Aysgarth |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Andrew |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II* listed |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Aysgarth |
| Deanery | Wensley |
| Archdeaconry | Richmond and Craven |
| Diocese | Leeds |
| Province | York |
St Andrew's Church, Aysgarth, is a special old church in Aysgarth, North Yorkshire, England. It is a Grade II* listed building, which means it's very important historically and architecturally. This church is part of the Church of England. You can find it on the south side of the River Ure.
The Story of St Andrew's Church
This church is very old, dating back to medieval times (the Middle Ages). It was largely rebuilt in 1536 and again in 1866. The 1866 rebuild was a big project, costing £3,600. This was a lot of money back then! The roof and walls were in very bad shape. Even the original arches of the main part of the church, called the nave, could not be saved. So, almost the entire church was rebuilt, except for the bottom part of the tower.
During the rebuild, the upper part of the church walls, called the clerestory, was made taller by about 1 meter (3 feet). Six new windows were added on each side. These windows had cool geometric patterns. The large window at the east end, which shows scenes from the life of Jesus, was made by artists Clayton and Bell. It was a gift from H.T. Robinson.
The church was officially reopened on August 28, 1866, by the Bishop of Ripon.
St Andrew's Church is famous for its amazing rood screen. This screen dates back to around 1506. It was originally in Jervaulx Abbey, a large monastery nearby. When monasteries were closed down in the 16th century (a time known as the Dissolution of the monasteries), this screen was moved to St Andrew's. The church even became a safe place for some of the monks after their monasteries closed.
Sadly, a very old Saxon Cross was stolen from the church in 1966. The church's burial ground has more than a thousand gravestones, showing how many people have been laid to rest there over the centuries.
Part of a Church Family
St Andrew's Church is part of a larger group of churches. This means it shares its parish (its local church area) with several other churches and mission rooms. These include:
- Thornton Rust Mission Room
- St Oswald's Church, Castle Bolton
- St Mary's Church, Redmire
- Holy Trinity Church, Wensley
- St Margaret's Church, Preston-under-Scar
- St Bartholomew's Church, West Witton
The Church Organ
The church has a beautiful pipe organ. It was built for £600 by Isaac Abbot of Leeds. The wooden case around the organ was carved by J.H. Thorp of Leeds, following a design by J.M. Bottomley. The organ was first played in August 1880. You can find more details about this organ on the National Pipe Organ Register.
See also
- Grade II* listed buildings in North Yorkshire
- Listed buildings in Aysgarth
