Church Of St Mary And St Alkelda

SE 18 NW 9/104 15.2.67

MIDDLEHAM KIRKGATE (west side) Church of St Mary and St Alkelda (Formerly listed under General)

GV I

Church. C14 and C15. Rubble, roof not visible. West tower, nave and chancel with aisles, south porch. 3-storey embattled tower with stepped Diagonal buttreses to west. 3-light Perpendicular west window. To south, single-chamfered doorway to stairs, 3-light vents above, small first-floor window with trefoil head. On all 4 sides, belfry openings of 2 lights with cinquefoil heads. Corner finials. C19 south porch. Altered Decorated south doorway with roll-moulding to jambs and single-chamfered pointed arch with label. Above, C14 relief sculpture of the Crucifixion with flanking figures. C19 priest's door. To south nave and chancel aisles, 5 two- and 3-light windows with trefoil tracery under flat heads with hoodmoulds. Blank parapets with gargoyles. Clerestory windows of similar pattern. To north nave aisle three 2-light windows with trefoil tracery under flat heads with hoodmoulds. Parapets and clerestory as on south. North chancel aisle with C19 doorway to vestry, 4-light window and chimney. 2-light Decorated windows to west of north and south aisles. 3-light east window with reticulated tracery to south aisle. 4-light chancel east window with curvilinear tracery; C19 Decorated window to vestry. Interior: 4-bay Decorated arcades of 2 chamfered orders with octagonal piers on tall broached bases and simple capitals. Matching tower arch, and wide chancel arch. Semicircular arch to south chancel aisle, C19 arch to vestry. C14 font with octagonal coarse gritstone bowl on octagonal shaft resting on round base, and tall Perpendicular canopy. On north wall of tower, grave cover of Robert Thornton, Abbot of Jervaulx, died 1510. On south wall of tower, early C18 benefaction boards and brass of 1734. In north aisle, window lintels are re-used medieval grave covers, also Celtic-type cross- head of c1920 formerly on Market Cross. In north aisle west window, fragments of stained glass including scene of martyrdom of St Alkelda. In south aisle, C18 altar table. South wall: monument to Dean Edward Place, died 1785. In nave floor part of Saxon cross-shaft with interlaced carving. Chancel has C19 stencilled wall painting. Middleham Church was elevated to a collegiate body with a Dean, 6 chaplains, 4 clerks and 6 choristers in 1477 by Richard, Duke of Gloucester, later Richard III, its a royal foundation it survived the Dissolution, although the prebendal appointments lapsed. An attempt was made to revive them in 1814 but the post of Dean was replaced by one of Rector in 1840. VCH, i, pp 255-6. J M Melhuish, The College of King Richard III Middleham, 1983.

Listing NGR: SE1263287878