St Mary the Virgin's Church, Great Ouseburn facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Mary the Virgin's Church,Great Ouseburn |
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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 beautiful old church located in the village of Great Ouseburn, North Yorkshire, England. It's an active Anglican church, which means it's part of the Church of England. It serves as a parish church for the local community. This church is very special because it's listed as a Grade II* building on the National Heritage List for England. This means it's an important historical building that needs to be protected.
History of the 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 top part of the tower was added later, in the 13th century (the 1200s). The arched walkways inside the church, called arcades, were built in the 14th century (the 1300s). The chancel, which is the area around the altar, was built in the 15th century (the 1400s).
Later, in 1820, the vestry (a room for clergy) and the aisles (passageways) were rebuilt. In 1883, a company called Paley and Austin added the south chapel. 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 to restore the chapel to its original look.
Church Architecture
Outside the Church
The church is mostly built from ashlar stone, which means the stones are cut very smoothly. The vestry is made of sandstone and brick, and the roofs are covered with stone slate. The church's layout includes a main area called the nave, with aisles on its north and south sides. There's also a chancel at the east end, with a vestry to the north and a chapel to the south. At the west end is a tall tower.
The tower has three main sections. The bottom part has a narrow, tall window called a lancet window on the west side. There are also small slit windows on the south side. A clock face is on the west side of the middle section. The top section has two-light openings for the bells. The very top of the tower has a parapet (a low wall) with pointed decorations called pinnacles. A pyramid-shaped roof sits on top of the tower.
At the west end of the south aisle, there's a doorway with a pointed top. Along the walls of the aisles, you'll see three windows, each with two lights and Y-shaped stone patterns called tracery. The south chapel has a special door for the priest and a square-shaped window with three lancets. Its east window has beautiful 19th-century stone 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.
Inside the Church
When you step inside, you'll see a round-headed arch leading into the tower. The arcades (arched walkways) are made of tall, pointed arches supported by slender round columns. On the north wall of the chancel, there are two monuments from 1779 and 1780, made by a craftsman named Fisher from York.
The font, where baptisms take place, dates back to the 17th century (the 1600s). Its lid was added in the 19th century (the 1800s). The church has a large organ with two keyboards, called manuals. This organ was originally built in 1962 by J. W. Walker and Sons for a church in Haywards Heath. It was moved to St Mary's in the year 2000. Before this, the church had a smaller organ built in 1888 by Forster and Andrews. That older organ was moved to Japan after the new one was installed.
See also
- Grade II* listed churches in North Yorkshire (district)
- Listed buildings in Great Ouseburn
