Church of St Alkelda

SD 8064-8164 12/11

GIGGLESWICK CHURCH STREET (north side) Church of St Alkelda

20.2.58

GV I Parish church. Late C14/early C15 with mid-C15 tower. Restored 1890-92 by Paley and Austin. Squared stone, stone dressings, stone slate and lead roof. Perpendicular style. South porch, three stage west tower, five bay nave, north and south aisles, one bay north and south side chapels, one bay chancel. Gabled south entrance porch has double chamfered surround, basket arch and hoodmould with spiral stops; diagonal buttresses. Double chamfered segmental pointed arch to nave entrance plank door and strap hinges.

Tower: west entrance has basket arch and hoodmould; trefoil heads to three-light window above, rectilinear tracery. Second stage string course and single light chamfered window with trefoil head. Deeply chamfered trefoil headed louvred window to bell stage. Gargoyle; embattled parapet; crocketted finials. Diagonal buttresses and projecting stair turret on south side; clock-face on east side.

Nave: four two-light windows and hoodmoulds to clerestory and two similar windows closely spaced at east end of 1890-92; parapet. Side aisles have three-light windows with hoodmoulds; parapet. Taller, former north chapel (now houses organ) has three-light window and south chapel has two similar windows and double chamfered segmental pointed arched entrance with sundial and gnomon in parapet above. One bay chancel is lower than nave and has tall east window of six lights with trefoil heads and hoodmould. Gable end parapet of 1890-92.

Interior: octagonal shafts to pillars in north and south arcades, pointed arches; base of two pillars formed from reused Romanesque capitals. Roof of 1890-92. Alms box dated 1684 and inscribed 'Remember the Pore' on pillar in south arcade. Octagonal base to font, early C15. Formerly three-now two-decker pulpit and reading desk, both of 1680. Brass candelabra of 1718 in nave. South wall: plaster tablet to Richard Frankland, (1698), non-conformist founder of Rathmell Academy, now College Fold, Rathmell (q.v). North wall: marble memorial by Leyland and Bromley, Halifax, to George Birbeck (1776-1841) founder of Mechanics' Institutes. Chancel: oak communion rail with bobbin balusters of c1675.

Listing NGR: SD8115464085