Church Of St Andrew

Church of St Andrew

This is a medieval parish church of primarily 14th-century date, substantially extended in the 16th and 17th centuries, with major repairs and reordering undertaken in 1864-75 and extensive restoration in 1901-03.

The building is constructed of coursed squared large sandstone blocks for the tower and nave clerestory, with gritstone rubble for the north and south aisles and east end. It is roofed with graduated stone slate. The composition comprises a 2-stage west tower, a 6-bay nave with continuous north and south aisles, and a 4-bay chancel. A distinctive feature is the full-length clerestory provided by the shallow-pitched roof to the south aisle. A south porch fronts the nave at the west end. A cast-iron clock face and wrought-iron weather vane crown the structure.

The west tower is of 2 stages with angle buttresses and a slightly projecting stair turret at the south-east corner. The west door is set in a double chamfered arch, and above it is a 3-light perpendicular-style window; both were restored in 1860. A small trefoil-headed niche sits below the 2-light belfry window, which has Perpendicular tracery on each face. The parapet is corbelled and embattled. The south face carries a large clock face with a raised border inscription in capitals: "The gift of W. Currer of Steeton / late citizen of London 1709 / Renewed by subscription / Redeem the time / 1828." An ornate weather vane above the stair turret features C and S scrolls, a pennant, and ball finial.

The south porch, dating to 1873, is Gothic in style with a double-chamfered arch, a niche above, moulded parapet coping, and clasping buttresses. The four westerly south aisle windows have 2 or 3 trefoil-headed lights; originally in pointed arches, these were truncated when the south aisle roof was lowered, and two retain the remains of hood moulds. The easterly nave and three chancel windows are square-headed with 3 round-headed lights and cavetto-moulded mullions. Similar shallow windows of 2 and 3 lights light the clerestory, renewed in 1901-03. At the east end of the chancel south aisle is a 3-light recessed chamfered mullion window close to ground level; 2 lights are blocked, and the left light retains its iron grille. A board door in an ogee-headed doorway serves the chancel on the far left, with a large square sundial above inscribed "Howarth Currer Arm / Dono Dedit / 1729." A blocked square-headed doorway with chamfered quoins and large lintel occupies the centre of the south nave aisle, positioned to the right of a change in the building line of the clerestory wall. Three solid buttresses support the nave aisle, and 1 stepped buttress supports the chancel aisle.

The north side features continuous roofing of the aisle with the nave and chancel. A moulded pointed arch frames the nave north door. The fenestration matches that of the south side but was probably restored in the 19th and 20th centuries. At the east end, a large 7-light window without tracery sits in a shallow pointed arch with hoodmould, flanked by buttresses. A square-headed south aisle east window of 3 segmental-headed lights stands adjacent, with a matching north aisle window restored in 1901-03. A blocked 3-light recessed chamfered mullion window lies below the south aisle window.

The interior features 4 quatrefoil piers to the nave arcades at the west end; the remaining piers to the nave and chancel are octagonal, with 2 nave piers having half-round attached columns. There is no chancel arch. The roof is of tie-beam construction.

A piscina in the nave south wall is accompanied by a blocked doorway to its left, which has a reused memorial stone carved with a 12th-century St Andrews cross serving as a lintel. The font at the west end of the nave has a restored base, a 15th-century octagonal bowl carved with the symbols of the crucifixion, and a finely carved 19th-century 3-tier cover, probably a replica of the 14th-century original. 16th and 17th-century reset screens and pews with linen-fold panelling and mouldings are dated 1633 and 1681. The notable box pew of the Fox family in the north aisle features turned balusters to the top rail and cock's-head hinges. 10th-century cross fragments displayed in the south aisle were discovered during the 1901 rebuilding of the chancel south side. An effigy of Sir Robert de Styveton (Steeton), dated 1307 but probably mid-14th century in style, was repositioned in 1854 and now stands in the nave north aisle at the west end.

Historical Development

The church belonged to the canons of Bolton Abbey, who established a grange nearby and built the bridge. The vicars are recorded from 1272. Earlier remains survive, but the 14th-century phase is represented by the tower, south windows, quatrefoil piers, the de Styveton tomb (originally between the most easterly quatrefoil piers of the north aisle), and the piscina. The easterly extension occurred in two phases: the 15th century, and after the Dissolution of 1539. Henry VIII granted Kildwick to Christ Church, Oxford. The 16th and 17th-century developments included reroofing (the earlier steep pitch remains visible on the tower's east side), the installation of pews including the Fox family's pew in the north aisle, the screens, and the Spencer vault built at the east end of the south aisle, of which 2 windows remain.

18th-century work was largely cosmetic: the Currer family chapel was created in the north aisle, the sundial and clock were installed, and a plaster ceiling was constructed below the roof timbers. In 1770, the west door was widened to allow the storage of the hearse. By the early 19th century, the structure needed repair, though alterations continued. A west gallery was built in 1824, the font cover was broken up to make dining chairs, the tower base fell into disuse with rubbish accumulating within, and several new sets of pews were installed during the mid-19th century. The west end was remodelled in 1868-75, with the gallery removed, the font cover replaced, the porch rebuilt, and the west door and tower window restored. By contrast, the chancel end had been neglected, and restoration work beginning in 1901-03 focused on the eastern portions.