St Mary's Church, Roecliffe facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary's Church, Roecliffe
St Mary's Church seen from the south
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OS grid reference	SE375659
Location	Roecliffe, North Yorkshire
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
Website	Churches Conservation Trust
History
Dedication	St Mary
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	15 March 1966
Architect(s)	RH Sharp
Architectural type	Church
Style	Romanesque Revival
Completed	1843
Specifications
Materials	Limestone, red tile roof

St Mary's Church is a special old church in the village of Roecliffe, North Yorkshire, England. It's a Church of England church that is no longer used for regular services. This means it is a "redundant" church. It is looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust. The church is also a "Grade II* listed building". This means it is a very important historical building.

History of St Mary's Church

The church was built in 1843. It was made for Andrew Lawson, who lived at Aldborough Manor. The architect who designed it was Richard Hey Sharp from York.

The church was built using stone from different places. Some stone came from an old Roman quarry. This quarry was on the grounds of Aldborough Manor. Other stone came from a quarry at Cotgrove. The stone for the arch inside the church came from Burton Leonard.

In the 1870s, large supports called buttresses were added. These were put on the north and south walls to make them stronger. St Mary's Church stopped being used for regular services on April 1, 1983. It was then given to the Churches Conservation Trust on June 5, 1986.

Church Design and Features

Building Structure

St Mary's Church is built from limestone. It has a red tile roof. The church is designed in the Romanesque Revival style. This style looks like old Roman buildings.

The church has one main room. This room includes a nave (the main part where people sit) and a small chancel (the area near the altar). There is also a small room called a vestry on the north-east side. On the west end of the roof, there is a small tower for a bell. This is called a bellcote. It has a pointed roof and holds one bell.

The main door is on the south side. It has a round arch. This arch is supported by two columns on each side. There are three buttresses on the south wall. There are two buttresses on the north wall. All the windows are round at the top. They have decorative edges called roll-moulding. The windows in the chancel are narrower than the others. The west window has small columns next to it. The roof inside the church is curved like a barrel. This is called a barrel vault. Five black and white marble steps lead up to the chancel. These steps used to be in York Minster, a very famous church.

Inside the Church: Fittings and Furniture

St Mary's Church has many old wooden items. These items were moved here from other places. The eight-sided pulpit (where the preacher stands) is in the Jacobean style. It came from Holy Trinity Church, Hull. The door to the vestry is from the 15th century. It has carved designs and came from York Minster.

We don't know where some of the other wooden items came from. These include a reading desk with panels. There are also pews (church benches) from 1619. The east wall has linenfold panelling. This looks like folded linen fabric. The pews are arranged along three walls. This is similar to how seats are set up in a college chapel. The communion table is from the 17th century.

The doorway to the vestry has a special curved top called an ogee head. Inside the vestry, there is more old carved wood. One carving is a frieze (a long band of decoration). It shows scenes from the Bible. These include the Nativity (Jesus' birth) and the Flight into Egypt. Other scenes show David and Goliath, and Salome. Other carvings in the vestry show the heads of small angels called putti. There are also carvings of classical capitals. These are the tops of columns. In one corner of the vestry, there is a round-arched fireplace. The stones around the arch are carved with human faces and animals.

St Mary's Church Today

Even though St Mary's Church is no longer used for regular services, special events still happen there. Sometimes, church services are held. It is also used as a place for concerts.

See also

• List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in Northern England