St Michael's Church, Kirkby Malham facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael's Church, Kirkby Malham |
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| Church of St Michael the Archangel | |
St Michael's Church tower
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| OS grid reference | SD 894,610 |
| Location | Kirkby Malham, North Yorkshire |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Website | St Michael the Archangel, Kirkby Malham |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | Saint Michael the Archangel |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade I |
| Designated | 20 February 1958 |
| Architect(s) | Paley and Austin (restoration) |
| Architectural type | Church |
| Style | Gothic |
| Specifications | |
| Materials | Millstone grit |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Kirkby-in-Malhamdale |
| Deanery | Bowland and Ewecross |
| Archdeaconry | Craven |
| Diocese | Leeds |
| Province | York |
St Michael's Church is a beautiful old church located in the small village of Kirkby Malham, in North Yorkshire, England. It's an active church where people still go for services today. It belongs to the Anglican faith and is an important part of the local community. This church is so special that it's officially protected as a Grade I listed building, meaning it's a very important historical site.
Contents
The History of St Michael's Church
The church is very old, possibly built as early as the 7th century. This means it could be over 1300 years old! However, it wasn't mentioned in the Domesday Book, a famous survey from 1086.
By the year 1199, a place called West Dereham Abbey owned the right to choose the church's priest. The entire church building was completely rebuilt in the 15th century, which was a long time ago. Later, between 1879 and 1881, the church was restored. This work was done by architects named Paley and Austin from Lancaster.
Exploring the Church's Design
Outside the Church
The church is built from a strong stone called millstone grit. Its roofs are made of lead, slate, and stone slate. The church has a main area called a nave with four sections. It also has a clerestory, which is an upper level with windows to let in light.
On each side of the nave are aisles, and both have smaller chapels. There's a porch on the south side and a small building for a hearse (a vehicle for funerals) on the north side. The church also has a chancel, which is the area around the altar, and a tall tower at the west end.
The tower has two main parts and strong diagonal supports called buttresses. Near the top of the tower, you can see carved coat of arms symbols. These symbols belong to Fountains Abbey, a famous old monastery. There are more coats of arms on another buttress.
The tower has a window with three sections on the west side. On the south side, there's a small, decorative alcove called a niche. You can also see clock faces on the east and west sides of the tower. There are openings with three sections on each side for the bells. The very top of the tower has a battlement design, which looks like the top of a castle wall.
The porch has two special marks called consecration crosses. Along the south aisle and on its west wall, there are windows with three sections. The south chapel is known as the Lady Chapel. It has a doorway on one side and a three-section window on the other.
The north aisle has windows with two sections at its west end and along its sides. It also has a blocked-up entrance and the hearse house. The north chapel is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. It has a three-section window facing east. The windows on the south side of the clerestory have three sections, while those on the north side have two. The top edge of both clerestories also has the battlement design. The east wall of the chancel has a large window with five sections.
Inside the Church
Inside the church, three of the large pillars, called piers, in the arcades (rows of arches) have small, decorative niches. In the north aisle, you can see some old box pews. These are like enclosed seating areas and date back to the 17th and early 18th centuries.
The baptistry is where the font is located. This font is very old, from the 11th century! It's decorated with a zigzag pattern and sits on a base added in the 19th century. In the south aisle, there are two piscinae, which are small basins used for washing sacred vessels.
The church used to have an organ built by Isaac Abbott of Leeds, but it was removed in 1980. The church has a ring of eight bells. The oldest bells were made in 1602 and 1617 by William Oldfield of York. Another bell was cast in 1785 by Robert Dalton, and a fourth by John Warner & Sons in 1897. The newest four bells were made by Eijsbouts in 2002.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in North Yorkshire (district)
- Listed buildings in Kirkby Malham
- List of ecclesiastical works by Paley and Austin
