St Ricarius Church, Aberford facts for kids

Quick facts for kids St Ricarius Church, Aberford
Church of St Ricarius or St Riquier
53°49′44″N 1°20′38″W / 53.828854°N 1.343817°W / 53.828854; -1.343817
Location	Aberford, West Yorkshire
Country	England
Denomination	Church of England
History
Status	Parish Church
Architecture
Heritage designation	Grade II listed building
Architect(s)	Anthony Salvin
Completed	1861
Specifications
Materials	Magnesian limestone
Administration
Province	York

The Church of St Ricarius is an old church in Aberford, West Yorkshire, England. It's an active Anglican church, which means it's part of the Church of England. People often say the church is named after a French saint called St Richarius, who might have visited Aberford a long time ago in 630. But there's also a special stained glass window in the church that shows "Ricarius Rex" (King Richard) from 720, who was a Saxon King also known as St Richard the Pilgrim.

Ricarius Rex window

History of the Church

Most of the Church of St Ricarius was rebuilt in 1861 by an architect named Anthony Salvin. However, some parts are much older! The church still has its original Norman tower and one Norman window. There's also a window from the 13th century. This means parts of the church are over 800 years old. The church is considered a special historic building, listed as Grade II since 1967.

Church Design and Features

Outside the Church

The church is built from a type of stone called magnesian limestone and has a slate roof. The tower at the west end has a short, eight-sided spire. It looks similar to the tower that was there before. The tower has three levels, with the top level holding the bells. You can see round-headed windows, typical of the Norman style, and a clock on the east side.

The church has a main area called the nave, with aisles on both the north and south sides. There's a small entrance porch on the south side with a pointed roof. This porch has a sundial on it that dates all the way back to 1806! The church also has a small room called a vestry on the north side and a small chancel (the area near the altar) with a chapel on the south.

Inside the Church

Inside, the church has rows of arches supported by round columns. These arches separate the main nave from the side aisles. The arch leading to the chancel has a painting from the 1900s. On the north side of the chancel, there's a narrow, pointed Norman window. This window might have been moved from the church that stood here before.

You can also find some interesting items inside. There's an anvil that belonged to a blacksmith named Samuel Hick, who is buried outside the church. An anvil is a heavy iron block that blacksmiths use to shape metal. The church also has an eight-sided stone font, which is a basin used for baptisms. It has a beautifully carved wooden cover.

The Market Cross

Outside the church's south gate, there's an old market cross. This cross is thought to be from the 1600s. It was moved to this spot in 1911. Like the church, the cross is made of magnesian limestone. It stands on two round steps and has a stone base. There's a brass plaque on it that says the cross was moved during a time of plague in 1644. It was then put back and moved to this spot in 1911 to celebrate the crowning of King George V.

See also

• List of places of worship in the City of Leeds
• Listed buildings in Aberford

Images for kids

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  Interior

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  Carved wooden cover over the font

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  Clock chamber

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  Font and cover

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  Sundial over porch

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  The choir at the church in the early 20th century