Church Of St Bartholomew

Church of St Bartholomew

A parish church, substantially built in the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, and restored in 1862. The building is constructed of coursed rubble and ashlar, rendered in parts, with pantile roofs and tile roofing to the chancel.

The church comprises a west tower, nave with north clerestorey, south aisle and porch, and chancel. The building is buttressed throughout and sits on a plinth, except for the tower.

The 13th-century tower has two stages. It is rendered with ashlar quoins and dressings. The second-floor south side has a small lancet window, while the first-floor west side has a larger lancet. The bell chamber contains four 2-light traceried openings with hoodmould and label stops; the eastern opening has a carved head at the centre of the hoodmould. Four carved heads mark the corners of the tower, which is embattled with a crocketed pinnacle at each corner.

The north wall is coursed rubble, rendered in places, and features two nave windows. The easternmost is 15th-century, square-headed with 2 lights, tracery and hoodmould. The western window is 14th-century, arched and traceried, with 2 cusped lights and a quatrefoil. The north clerestorey, heightened when the north aisle was removed, has three similar 14th-century windows. A single gargoyle is present on this wall.

The chancel's north side has a 15th-century 3-light square-headed traceried window with hoodmould. The rendered ashlar east end features an arched 15th-century 5-light panel tracery window with cusping and hoodmould. The south wall of the chancel is coursed rubble and rendered, with three 15th-century 3-light windows, all square-headed with tracery, hoodmoulds and label stops. The central window is slightly smaller and has a doorway beneath it. The western window has lost its west label stop. The doorway itself has a moulded arch with hoodmould over.

The east wall of the ashlar south aisle has an arched 15th-century 3-light panel tracery window with hoodmould. The south wall of the aisle contains two 15th-century 3-light arched panel tracery windows with hoodmoulds. The south wall of the nave is topped by an embattled parapet.

The porch is of ashlar and rendered construction, diagonally buttressed, gabled, with a central doorway flanked by engaged columns with castellated abaci, supporting a moulded arch with hoodmould and label stops. The west wall of the south aisle has a 3-light square-headed traceried window with cusping and quatrefoil. The interior porch doorway is arched with hoodmould and label stops.

Inside, the nave and south aisle are separated by an arcade of 3 bays with octagonal piers and castellated abaci supporting chamfered arches. A blocked chamfered tower arch with moulded capitals leads to the tower. A chamfered arch with castellated abaci separates the nave and chancel. The north wall of the chancel has a blocked arch with octagonal piers and castellated abaci; around this arch is ballflower ornament, with hoodmould and label stops over. The south wall of the chancel contains a piscina with an ogee arch over it.

Behind the altar rail, adjacent to the north wall, is a 14th-century recumbent knight. Also in the chancel is a tablet to Slingsby James, eldest son of Slingsby Duncombe, dated around 1831. Early 19th-century box pews in the nave and aisle have puppy heads. The nave roof is timbered, with a few remaining 15th-century bosses.