Church Of St Mary

BIRKIN INTAKE LANE SE 52 NW (east side) 4/3 Church of St Mary 11.12.67

GV I Church. C12 with C14 south aisle and upper stage of tower and C19 additions and alterations. Magnesian limestone ashlar with stone slate roof and wooden porch. West tower, 2-bay nave with south aisle, chancel and apse. Tower: 2 stages. Slit openings to lower stage. Band. 2-light belfry windows with Reticulated tracery. Band with gargoyles. Battlements and pinnacles. C19 south porch contains Norman doorway of 4 orders, from outer arch: medallions, chevron moulding, beakhead, and plain roll moulding to inner arch. Colonnnettes to outer 3 arches with interlace and scallop capitals. South aisle: plinth. 3-light, straight-headed windows with Reticulted tracery under hoodmoulds and similar pointed window to west. Similar 5-light window to east. Battlements to nave. Stone slate coping. North side: chamfered plinth. Entrance to west under shouldered arch. Sill band throughout. Central round-headed window with restored nookshafts and hoodmould. Corbel table. Chancel: south side: priest's doorway dated 1883; eroded, blocked lancet window; continuous sill band above; round-headed window with nookshafts under hoodmould. Corbel table and ashlar coping to gable to each side. 5-bay apse with pilaster buttresses: from south to north: 2-light square-headed window with trefoil lights under elliptical arch. Second bay has sill band and round-headed window with nookshafts with scallop capitals supporting arch decorated with medallions under hood with ball moulding. East window: 3-light window with Reticulated tracery to the head under arch of beakheads beneath hood with ball moulding. Fourth bay: sill band, round-headed window with nookshafts with scallop capitals supporting arch of chevron moulding under hood with ball moulding. Fifth bay: mock sill band and further band above. Corbel table. Interior: tall, round tower arch, partly blocked by organ but with single nookshafts with scallop capitals. Nave arcade has hexagonal pier and double-chamfered arches ending in headstops. To north side a recessed niche containing early C14 effigy of a cross-legged civilian holding his heart in his hand. To south aisle an ogee-arched piscina. Tall chancel arch with 3 shafts with scalloped volute capitals. Chevron moulding to arch. Arch to apse supported on shafts with scallop capitals with volutes. Transverse arch and 2 ribs of heavy section in 3 rolls all on shafts with scallop capitals with volutes. Sedilia. Font: cup-shaped with octagonal rim dated 1663 on earlier base. Fragments of C14 glass in south aisle east window. Wall mounument to Elizabeth Wright died 1783 signed J Fisher Sculpt/York. A late C17 cartouche to Thornton family in chancel, another c1650, and one c1720 to William Harrison. In south aisle a C14 grave slab with incised cross. This church is notable in retaining its C12 apse. Pevsner, N, Yorkshire, The West Riding, 1979, pp 104-5.

Listing NGR: SE5303526524