Church of St Oswald

Church of St Oswald

A church of the 12th, 14th and 16th centuries with later additions, restored in 1864 by J.M. Teale and again in 1935. Built of rubble and ashlar limestone with lead and tile roofs.

The building comprises a two-bay aisled nave with a south porch and a truncated tower rising from the aisle behind, a 20th-century north vestry, and a two-bay chancel with a larger two-bay north chapel (the Rokeby Chapel).

The nave's 12th-century south aisle features large quoins and pebblework to its lower courses. A porch was added to the first bay in 1864, with a pointed arch and hoodmould beneath a coped gable with a cross. The 12th-century south doorway within has a lightly-chamfered, two-order round arch with a single order of columns and plain capitals. The second bay contains a two-light window with a pointed arch and hoodmould with carved-head stops, renewed in 1864. Each end wall has a small 12th-century window. Rising above the first bay of the aisle is a single-stage tower added in 1828 but truncated in 1935, featuring a two-light south window and corniced eaves beneath a pyramidal roof with louvred gablets. The west wall of the nave, of earlier 12th-century date, incorporates herringbone courses above a 14th-century three-light west window with intersecting tracery and hoodmould with weathered stops beneath a gable quatrefoil. The north aisle has buttresses flanking a two-light west window and a two-light north window east of the 20th-century vestry, which encloses a narrow triangular-headed doorway with hoodmould. The aisles are under catslide roofs with 19th-century kneelers and gable copings with apex crosses.

The chancel is 12th-century in origin but was rewindowed in the 15th century with cusped two-light south windows in chamfered, square-headed surrounds. The three-light east window has panel tracery. A string course lies beneath an ashlar parapet with roll-moulded copings and a shallow east gable with a cross.

The Rokeby Chapel to the north was built soon after 1521 in the Perpendicular style. It has a cyma-moulded plinth and moulded band. The east end, set forward, features diagonal buttresses and a string course beneath a restored and infilled five-light window with cusped lights and panel tracery beneath a four-centred arch with hoodmould. A heraldic shield carved with animals lies beneath a hollow string course. The parapet is embattled with an apex niche (pinnacles have been removed). The north side has a diagonal west buttress and a buttress between two four-light windows.

The interior contains late 12th-century aisle arcades with half-round responds, octagonal piers and broad square capitals to plain round arches. A round-headed piscina survives in the south aisle, along with complete embrasures to the 12th-century end windows. The roof is 19th-century. The chancel has a double-chamfered chancel arch with the inner order on corbels. Moulded and hollow-chamfered 15th-century arches connect the north aisle and chancel to the chapel, which has altered niches flanking the east window and arcading of cinquefoiled blind panels on the north wall. The chapel roof is a fine 16th-century example with intricately-carved tie beams, bosses at each crossing and a central pendant boss.

Among the fittings is a cylindrical Norman font on a two-step plinth. Excellent traceried wooden screens stand to the west of the chancel and chapel. The chancel screen has 3:2:3 divisions with crocketed, ogee panels to the dado and a central four-panel door with four-light tracery and pierced upper panels. The side panels are set beneath small twin ogee canopies. The main shafts have tiny figures in niches at the capitals. The canopy has carved vinetrail and pierced cresting. The chapel screen is similar but of 1:2:1 divisions.

Monuments in the Rokeby Chapel include floor slabs, among them one to Thomas Rokeby (died 1669). A large marble wall monument on the east wall commemorates Thomas Rokeby (died 1621) and features consoles with floral drops and cherubs' heads flanking a domed oval plaque with Latin inscription, a cartouche above and an open segmental pediment containing a cartouche and mantling beneath a draped urn. On the north wall stands the tomb of Archbishop William Rokeby (died 1521), with a foiled, four-panel base and canopy on shafts with foiled frieze and cresting, some inscribed brasses within. To its left is a weathered 17th-century cartouche above a marble plaque. The south wall bears a scrolled pedimented monument to William Rokeby (died 1662) with a shield of arms above. An east wall brass plate has eight lines of verse originally marking the burial spot of Archbishop Rokeby. Additional floor brasses commemorate Thomas Boucher (died 1658) and his wife Elizabeth (died 1677).

The western north chapel window contains jumbled 16th-century glass with incomplete figures of saints.

The chapel was built soon after the death of William Rokeby, Bishop of Meath, Archbishop of Dublin, Chancellor of Ireland and formerly vicar of Kirk Sandall.

The church is now in the care of the Redundant Churches Fund.