Church Of St Hilda

Church of St Hilda

Church dating from the early 12th century, with significant later medieval additions and extensive restoration work undertaken between 1909 and 1912 by C Hodgson Fowler for Sir Tatton Sykes. The building is constructed of squared sandstone, repaired and rebuilt in sandstone ashlar, with a slate roof.

The church comprises a west tower in three stages, a four-bay aisled nave with south porch, and a chancel with organ chamber and vestry.

The tower stands on a chamfered plinth and features a square-headed west window of two cusped lights with panel tracery beneath a continuous hoodmould. A reset corbel head is positioned to the south. The second stage has a restored two-light window to the south. Paired bell openings are recessed in pointed arches beneath hoodmoulds on all sides, with a string course marking each stage. The tower is finished with a cornice carved with text from Psalms interspersed with fleurons and beasts, an embattled parapet with blind tracery, and armorial shields. A reset corbel head appears to the south.

The north aisle has a restored window of two lights with Decorated tracery beneath a pointed hoodmould and raked parapet. The south aisle features a restored cusped lancet beneath a crow-stepped parapet. The gabled south porch has a two-centred chamfered opening with bar stops beneath a hoodmould. Above the opening is a much-worn sundial, with a reset trefoil stone in the west return. A round-arched south doorway of three orders incorporates reset beakhead mouldings. Double doors dated 1912 on the lock plate provide access. One two-light and two three-light windows with cusped intersecting tracery and corbel-stopped hoodmoulds light the interior, beneath a plain parapet.

The buttressed north side, on a chamfered plinth, features a shouldered north door and four windows similar to the west window design. An eaves cornice and plain parapet complete this elevation.

The chancel sits on a double-chamfered plinth and contains a blocked original priest's door beneath a coved hoodmould. An original low-side cusped lancet appears beneath an inserted two-light Decorated window to the west, with a similar three-light window with restored mullions to the east. A further east window is a 20th-century rebuild. The organ chamber projects as a gable on the north side with a square-headed two-light window, while the vestry occupies the angle of the chancel. The east end has offset angle buttresses and a three-light Decorated window with sill band and hoodmould. Coped gables with terminal gablets and crosses crown the building.

Interior Features

The interior preserves significant medieval and later craftsmanship. A two-centred tower arch of three orders springs from slender shafts with moulded capitals beneath a coved hoodmould.

The original north arcade, dating to the late 12th to early 13th century, comprises double-chamfered pointed arches springing from round piers with octagonal moulded capitals and tall plinths. Traces of painted decoration survive on some columns, and a piscina is set into the north side of the easternmost pier.

The south arcade features pointed, double-chamfered arches with quatrefoil piers, moulded capitals, and a continuous corbelled hoodmould, rebuilt during the 1909–12 restoration.

A round chancel arch of three orders on triple responds connects the nave to the chancel. The north capitals are primitive voluted forms, while the south capitals are scalloped and incorporate religious symbols. The outer arch displays lobed chevrons interrupted by a defaced head at its centre. A pillar piscina stands at the foot of the north respond.

Sir Tatton Sykes donated an exceptional collection of carved furniture, including a fine rood screen and choir stalls decorated with creatures in flowers and foliage, a pulpit, altar, and pewing. A square Norman font with cable moulding features arcading enclosing palm trees. A second, octagonal font dates to the 20th century and features a tall, richly-carved cover suspended from the belfry floor. Brass chandeliers with leafy fronds hang in the nave.

The nave roof is richly decorated with embattled ties, arch-braced collars, and traceried spandrels, with ashlar pieces at the eaves and a moulded, embattled double wall plate. The chancel roof is panelled with bosses, with principal rafters resting on angel corbels bearing shields.

The lower stage of the tower and the chancel arch date to the early 12th century, while the tower arch and north arcade belong to the late 12th to early 13th century. The south arcade, porch, and upper tower stages were rebuilt during the 1909–12 restoration campaign.