St Andrew's Church, Finghall | |
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The Parish Church of St Andrew, Finghall | |
54°18′24.2″N1°42′30.5″W / 54.306722°N 1.708472°W | |
OS grid reference | SE182897 |
Location | Finghall |
Country | England |
Denomination | Church of England |
Weekly attendance | 15 (average between 2006–2015) [1] |
Website | Webpage |
History | |
Status | Active |
Dedication | St Andrew |
Architecture | |
Architectural type | Early English |
Specifications | |
Bells | 2 |
Administration | |
Diocese | Leeds |
Archdeaconry | Richmond and Craven |
Deanery | Wensley |
Parish | Finghall |
Clergy | |
Rector | Reverend Chris Lawton |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
Designated | 13 February 1967 |
Reference no. | 1131477 |
The Parish Church of St Andrew, Finghall, [note 1] [2] [3] is the parish church for the village of Finghall in North Yorkshire, England. The building is on the site of a much earlier Anglo-Saxon church and has some remnants of that era incorporated into the building, though the present structure dates back only to the 12th century. The church is nearer to the hamlet of Akebar than it is to Finghall, which is 0.5 miles (0.8 km) to the south, because the church was originally in a medieval village that was deserted when ravaged by plague. The building is now a grade II* listed structure and is still used for worship.
The Church of St Andrew, Finghall, was built in the Early English style in the late 12th century and is now grade II* listed. [4] It has a tower to the west with a nave, chancel [5] and a rare double bell holder (bell-cot) [4] situated on the centre of the church roof. The roof is described as being very low, with one writer stating that "[it comes] nearly to the ground," [6] and whilst one bell is undated, the other shows it to have been cast in 1620. [7] Some elements are thought to be Anglo-Saxon in nature, including a blocked doorway into the nave dated to around 1140 [8] and an Anglo-Saxon cross-head from the 9th century built into the chancel. [9] The church was rebuilt in the 14th century and smaller additions were made in the 18th and 19th centuries with a complete restoration in 1904. [4] [10] Further restorations were undertaken in 1959 and 1964. [11]
The most recent restoration was carried out in 2000, when the commandment boards were restored. The commandment boards were instituted by Queen Elizabeth I in the 16th century but Finghall didn't get theirs until the middle of the 18th century. [12]
In 1801 the Reverend Luke Yarker employed several people as musicians and singers in the church. The musicians were supplanted in 1865 by a harmonium, which was replaced in 1894 by an organ that had previously been in Constable Burton Hall. [13]
The church is next to Leeming Beck (named Bedale Beck further down the valley) and was formerly in an Anglo-Saxon village. As with other Deserted Medieval Villages (DMVs), the belief was that the plague was a water-borne infection and so the villagers moved to the present site of Finghall village [14] 0.5 miles (0.8 km) to the south of the church. [7] This had led historians to label such places of worship as 'Plague Churches'. [12]
The church was patronised by the Fitzhugh and the Wyvill families. Other notable families were patrons of the church and were afforded the right of advowson. The Scrope family lost this right in 1415 when their lands were confiscated (including Finghall church) by the crown on account of Henry Scrope's involvement in the 1415 plot to murder King Henry V. Scrope was executed at Southampton for this. [15]
Two of the graves in the churchyard belong to military airmen. One is of a Royal Flying Corps airman who was the only son of the vicar of Finghall at that time. E.H.G. Sharples died in January 1918 in a training accident. [16] The other grave is from the Second World War and is that of Flying Officer N.J.M. Barry. [17] [note 2] [18] [19]
The church is in a benefice with five other churches: St Gregory's (Crakehall), St Mary's (Hornby), St Michael's (Spennithorne), St Oswald's (Hauxwell) and St Patrick's (Patrick Brompton). Together these six churches are collectively known as Lower Wensleydale. [20] [21]
Below is a list of rectors of Finghall. [22] At some point in the late twentieth century the incumbent at Patrick Brompton became the vicar for the extended parish.
Bedale, is a market town and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Bedale Beck is a River Swale tributary, the beck forms one of the Yorkshire Dales. The dale has a predominant agriculture sector and its related small traditional trades, although tourism is increasingly important. Northallerton is 7 miles (11 km) north-west, Middlesbrough 26 miles (42 km) north-west and York is 31 miles (50 km) south-west.
Romaldkirk is a village in Teesdale, in the Pennines of England. The village lies within the historic boundaries of the North Riding of Yorkshire, but has been administered by County Durham since 1974.
Akebar is a township and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England, about eight miles south of Richmond. It consists of a caravan site, as well as several farm houses, a public house and folly. The civil parish as a whole consists of several farm houses. At the 2011 Census the population was less than 100. Information regarding the combined statistics can be found in the parish of Finghall.
Arrathorne is a hamlet and civil parish in the former Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. The settlement is 6 miles (9 km) south of Richmond, 6 miles (9 km) north-west of Bedale and 6 miles (9 km) east of Leyburn. The name has been recorded variously as Ergthorn, Erchethorn, Erghethorn, Erethorn and Arrowthorne. It means The Thornbush by the Shieling. Historically, the hamlet was in the Parish of Patrick Brompton in the Wapentake of Hang East.
Bolton-on-Swale is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. In 2015, North Yorkshire County Council estimated the population of the civil parish to be 70.
Brompton-on-Swale is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. The village is located three miles east of Richmond and 10 miles (16 km) north-west of the county town of Northallerton on the northern bank of the River Swale.
Finghall, historically spelt Fingall, is a village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. It is in lower Wensleydale south of the A684 road, about 6.2 miles (10 km) west of Bedale and about 5 miles (8 km) east of Leyburn.
Easby is a hamlet and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated near Richmond on the banks of the River Swale, approximately 12 miles (19 km) north west from the county town of Northallerton. The population taken by ONS was less than 100. Population information is included in the parish of Hudswell.
Upsall Castle is a fourteenth-century ruin, park and manor house in Upsall, in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England.
Patrick Brompton is a village and civil parish in North Yorkshire, England. Patrick Brompton is situated about 4 miles (6.4 km) west of Bedale. It lies on the A684. The population of the parish at the 2001 Census was 155, rising to 167 at the 2011 Census. North Yorkshire County Council estimated the population to be at 170 in 2015.
Crakehall is a village and civil parish in the Hambleton District of North Yorkshire, England, approximately 2 miles (3 km) west of Bedale. More known as Thomas Barkers home grounds. The village lies along the route of the A684 and is split into two parts by Bedale Beck, a tributary of the River Swale. The population was estimated at 630 in 2015. The north-west part is known as Little Crakehall, and the south-east part as Great Crakehall. It is 8.3 miles (13.4 km) west-south-west of the county town of Northallerton.
The A684 is an A road that runs through Cumbria and North Yorkshire, starting at Kendal, Cumbria and ending at Ellerbeck and the A19 road in North Yorkshire. It crosses the full width of the Yorkshire Dales, passing through Garsdale and the full length of Wensleydale.
Bedale Beck is a river that flows through the eastern end of Wensleydale and passes through Crakehall, Bedale and Leeming before entering the River Swale at a point between Morton-on-Swale and Gatenby. Between source and mouth its length is 25.7 miles (41 km).
Hang East was a Wapentake (Hundred), which is an administrative division, in the historic county of the North Riding of Yorkshire. It was one of the smaller wapentakes by area and consisted of nine parishes and two towns; Bedale and Masham.
The Church of St Gregory, Bedale is the parish church for the town of Bedale in North Yorkshire, England. It is the main church of the benefice of Bedale and Leeming and Thornton Watlass. A stone church in Bedale was mentioned in the Domesday Book, but the present structure dates back to the latter part of the 12th century, with further restorations over the last 800 years. The grade I listed building has many notable features including a medieval image of a left handed St George fighting a dragon and the tower, set to the western side, which was built with a portcullis in a defensive capacity.
St Mary's Church Hornby, is the parish church for the village of Hornby, Richmondshire in North Yorkshire, England. The church is one of six in the Benefice of Lower Wensleydale. The oldest parts of the building date back to the 11th century. It is 6 miles (9.7 km) south east of Richmond and 5 miles (8 km) north of Bedale.
The Church of St Patrick, is the parish church for the village and parish of Patrick Brompton in North Yorkshire, England. The church is one of six in the Benefice of Lower Wensleydale and the oldest parts of the building date back to the 11th century. It is 6 miles (9.7 km) south east of Richmond and 4 miles (6 km) north of Bedale situated on the A684 road.
The Church of St Lambert, Burneston, is the Anglican parish church for the village of Burneston in North Yorkshire, England. The church was built progressively in the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries, with some later additions and is now a grade I listed structure. It is the only Anglican church in England to be dedicated to St Lambert, and one of its former vicars, Canon John Hartley, was noted for being a winner at the Men's Singles championship at Wimbledon two years running.
The Church of St Oswald, Thornton Steward is an Anglican church to the west of the village of Thornton Steward in North Yorkshire, England. St Oswald's is thought to be one of the oldest churches in Wensleydale. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book, and has Norman origins. The building is located in a burial plot dating back as far as the 7th century, and is now a grade II* listed structure.
The Church of St Mary the Virgin is a grade II listed building in the village of Thornton Watlass, North Yorkshire, England. The tower dates back to the 15th century, but the rest of the church was entirely rebuilt in the 1860s, reopening in December 1867. The church forms part of the Benefice of Bedale, along with the Church of St Gregory (Bedale), the Church of John the Baptist (Leeming), and Burrill Mission Church.