Church Of St Mary

Church of St Mary

A church with 12th-century origins, located at Fridaythorpe. The building incorporates a south door and chancel arch dating from around 1140, and a tower from around 1190. The 13th century saw the addition of the north arcade. Later modifications occurred in the 17th century, in 1771, and significantly in 1902-3 when C Hodgson Fowler undertook substantial work for Sir Tatton Sykes, 5th Baronet of Sledmere, including the rebuilding of the north aisle and south porch.

The church is constructed of limestone ashlar with a concealed roof. It comprises a 2-stage west tower, a 3-bay nave with a south porch, a north aisle and clerestory, a 2-bay chancel with a north vestry.

The tower features a chamfered plinth. On its west side, the first stage contains a round-arched window with chamfered jambs. The second stage displays a wooden clock inscribed "ANO DOM / 1903 / Time is short : Eternity / is long". The other sides of the second stage have rectangular bell openings. An eaves band with 20th-century rainwater heads sits to the east, beneath a low parapet with pyramidal finials at the corners.

The south porch entrance is a pointed arch with shafts supporting roll-moulding beneath a hoodmould, flanked by shields. The porch has an eaves band and a parapet with moulded copings topped by a ridge cross. The entrance doorway within the porch is a 19th-century studded door set within a round-arched Norman surround of 3 orders. The inner order has a scallop capital to the right and fleuron capital to the left; the central order has similar capitals; the outer order has a scallop capital to the left and zigzag capital to the right. All orders have chevron-moulded arches, with the centre arch bearing a ball motif to the antis. The abaci are decorated with interlacing bands, foliage, and zigzags, the whole covered by a partly eroded hoodmould.

The south side of the nave has a chamfered plinth. East of the porch are a rectangular light with chamfered surround and a 2-light mullion window in a chamfered surround. A small square light in a chamfered surround appears in the upper right-hand area. A low parapet with moulded copings runs along the top.

The north side features an aisle with plinth and buttresses having off-sets to the east. An entrance on the right is a studded plank door within a pointed moulded surround beneath a hoodmould with label stops. Two windows with 2 and 3-cinquefoil lights respectively and straight heads sit within cavetto-moulded surrounds. The west end has a similar 3-light window. A modillion corbel table runs below the clerestory, which comprises 3 rectangular windows within chamfered surrounds.

The chancel's south side has a chamfered, round-arched priest's door with lancet windows to either side in chamfered surrounds. A low parapet surmounted by roll-moulded copings tops this elevation. The north side contains a vestry, a continuation of the north aisle, with a studded plank door within a cavetto-moulded, 4-centred surround. To the east of the door is a 3-lancet-light straight-headed window within a cavetto-moulded surround. The chancel's east end displays a blocked 3-light mullion window in a double-chamfered surround, with a cross at the apex above.

Internally, the tower arch is pointed and double-chamfered, set on chamfered responds with abaci and some star mouldings. The nave contains a 4-bay arcade to the north with double-chamfered pointed arches on cylindrical piers bearing moulded bases and capitals; the easternmost pier is inscribed "This 713 found hear" (sic). The round chancel arch has an outer order of chevron moulding on a shaft with scallop capitals to the left, a roll-moulded inner order, and carved abaci, though it has been largely re-cut. The north aisle features a shoulder-arched opening to the vestry with a studded plank door. The north side of the chancel has a lancet and a round-arched window; the latter, to the east, is blocked, while the former lights the vestry.

The church contains a Norman font with arcading to the top on a plinth and a tapering octagonal base, partly recut. Early 17th-century oak altar rails with rod-on-vase balusters are present. Fragments of wall painting depicting parts of the Ten Commandments appear at the east end of the nave to the right of the chancel arch. In the chancel is a priest's grave slab from around 1350 with an incised cross. A bust of Sir Tatton Sykes (1826-1913) by Bryan Charles is displayed within. An 18th-century carved altar, brought from Sledmere Church in 1895, stands in the chancel. The reredos dates from 1902.