St Mary the Virgin's Church, Great Ouseburn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Mary the Virgin's Church, Great Ouseburn
St Mary the Virgin's Church, Great Ouseburn, from the southwest
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Location	Great Ouseburn, North Yorkshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
History
Status	Parish church
Dedication	Saint Mary the Virgin
Architecture
Functional status	Active
Heritage designation	Grade II*
Designated	15 March 1966
Architect(s)	Paley and Austin (South chapel)
Architectural type	Church
Style	Norman, Gothic, Gothic Revival
Administration
Parish	Great Ouseburn
Deanery	Ripon
Archdeaconry	Richmond
Diocese	Leeds
Province	York

St Mary the Virgin's Church is a historic church located in the village of Great Ouseburn, which is in North Yorkshire, England. It is an active Anglican church, meaning it belongs to the Church of England. This church serves as a parish church, which is the main church for a local community. It is part of the Diocese of Leeds. The church is also recognized as a Grade II* listed building, which means it is a very important historical building.

What is the History of St Mary's Church?

The oldest part of St Mary's Church is the lower section of its tower. This part was built during the Norman era, which was a very long time ago. The upper part of the tower was added in the 1200s. The arcades, which are rows of arches, were built in the 1300s. The chancel, the area around the altar, was added in the 1400s.

How Has the Church Changed Over Time?

In 1820, some parts of the church, like the vestry (a room for clergy) and the aisles (passageways), were rebuilt. Later, in 1883, a south chapel was added by a famous architecture firm called Paley and Austin. More recently, in 1994, a porch was built at the entrance. Since then, the church has added a toilet and a small kitchen. The organ was also moved, which helped restore the chapel area.

What Does St Mary's Church Look Like?

The church is built using ashlar stone, which means the stones are finely cut and shaped. The vestry is made of sandstone and brick. The roofs are covered with stone slate.

What Are the Main Parts of the Church?

The church has a main area called the nave, which has three sections or "bays." On either side of the nave are north and south aisles. There is also a chancel, with a vestry on its north side and a chapel on its south side. At the west end of the church is a tall tower.

Exploring the Church Tower

The tower has three main levels. It stands on a chamfered plinth, which is a sloped base. On the west side of the lowest level, there is a narrow, tall window called a lancet window. The middle level has small slit windows on the south side and a clock face on the west side. The top level has round-headed openings for the church bells. The top edge of the tower is embattled, meaning it looks like the top of a castle wall, and has pointed decorations called crocketed pinnacles. A pyramid-shaped roof sits on top of the tower.

Windows and Doors of the Church

At the west end of the south aisle, there is a doorway with a pointed top. Along the walls of the aisles, you can see three windows, each with two lights (sections) and Y-shaped patterns called tracery. On the south side of the chapel, there is a special door for the priest and a window with three lancet-shaped openings. The east window of the chapel has beautiful 19th-century patterns in the Perpendicular style. The chancel has square-headed windows on its north and south sides, and its east window is also in the Perpendicular style.

What Can You See Inside the Church?

The arch that connects the tower to the nave is round-headed. The arcades, or rows of arches, are tall and pointed. They are supported by slender, round columns.

Monuments and Features Inside

On the north wall of the chancel, there are two monuments made by Fisher of York. These date back to 1779 and 1780. The font, which is used for baptisms, is from the 1600s. Its lid was added in the 1800s.

The Church Organ

The church has a two-manual organ, which means it has two keyboards. This organ was installed by Peter Wood and Son. It was originally built in 1962 by J. W. Walker and Sons for another church in Haywards Heath. It was moved to St Mary's in the year 2000. This new organ replaced an older, smaller organ that had only one keyboard. The older organ was built in 1888 by Forster and Andrews and was later moved to Japan.