Church of St Chad, Middlesmoor

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Church of St Chad
St. Chad's, Middlesmoor - geograph.org.uk - 4632032.jpg
St. Chad's, Middlesmoor
Church of St Chad, Middlesmoor
Church of St Chad
54°09′47″N1°51′32″W / 54.163°N 1.859°W / 54.163; -1.859
OS grid reference SE092741
Location Middlesmoor, North Yorkshire
CountryEngland
Denomination Anglican
Website www.achurchnearyou.com/church/3362/
History
Dedication St Chad [1]
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Completed1866
Specifications
Floor area2,630 square feet (244 m2)
Bells6
Administration
Diocese Diocese of Leeds
Archdeaconry Richmond and Craven
Deanery Ripon
Benefice Upper Nidderdale
Parish Upper Nidderdale
Listed Building – Grade II
Designated6 March 1967
Reference no. 1174129

The Church of St Chad is a grade II listed structure in the village of Middlesmoor, in Upper Nidderdale, North Yorkshire, England. The church was built in 1866 to replace an earlier chapel on the site, and prior to a burial ground being consecrated, funerals and burials had to take place at Kirkby Malzeard, under which ecclesiastical parish the church fell under. The church is located on high ground (about 920 feet (280 m) above sea level) between the valleys of the River Nidd and How Stean Gorge; its elevated position means it looks over the valley southwards, and is sometimes declared as having one of the best views from any church in England. The church's dedication to St Chad is due to the presence of a stone cross (now on display in the church) which was said to have been carved by St Chad himself.

Contents

History

Although the current church was built in 1866, a chapel previously existed on the site which was consecrated in 1484. [2] [3] A document uncovered at the church in 1748 stated that the then Archbishop of York consecrated the church on its building, and later consecrated the burial ground. [4] Up until the building of the chapel, christenings and burials had to be undertaken at Kirkby Malzeard, some 10 miles (16 km) to the east in the adjoining valley, [5] and as such, the chapel at Middlesmoor was a daughter church to that at Kirkby Malzeard and was described as parochial chapel in the period up to the Reformation. [6] The necessity to carry corpses over to Kirkby Malzeard required the building of a bridge over the River Nidd at Wath-in-Nidderdale. [7]

The chapel had a nave, chancel, porch and a low square tower at the west end. Due to a slope, the roof on the north side was only 2 feet (0.61 m) above the ground. In June 1775, the chapel roof was removed and the walls were raised. [8] Until it was rebuilt in 1866, the chapel, which had 400 sittings, had no dedication and was not in any diocese, being wholly controlled by the vicar at Kirkby Malzeard. [9] [10] Through a special agreement with the Prebend of Masham and the vicar of Kirkby Malzeard, all holy offices (burials, weddings baptisms etc) were able to be carried out at Middlesmoor without the inhabitants having to travel over into the adjacent valley of the River Ure where the mother church at Kirkby Malzeard was. [11]

The graveyard and view down the valley Graveyard, St. Chad's Church, Middlesmoor - geograph.org.uk - 6326949.jpg
The graveyard and view down the valley

The chapel was rebuilt as a church between 1865 and 1866 (opening in September 1866) [i] in a Decorated style to a design by William Henry Crossland; it has a nave with a north aisle a chancel, and a west tower which Pevsner described as "Dull." [13] [14] The church building covers an area of 2,630 square feet (244 m2), is built with coursed, square stone, with ashlar dressings and the roof is made of Welsh slate. [15] [16] Although Crossland was briefed with a rebuild, the works were described by Binns as effectively being an entirely new build. Crossland re-used many of the churches notable artefacts such as the cross of St Chad, the font and three windows in the new structure, and it was gutted throughout with local marble being used in the building. [17] The rebuilding of 1865 replaced the windows and many of the pillars and arches were reconstructed. The font has four sides each engraved with a depiction of one of the Four Evangelists, and was thought to be Saxon or Norman in origin, but there is no archaeological evidence of this. [18] [19] The tower is fitted with six bells; the tenor bell's striking note is F#. [20] The bells were new when the church was rebuilt in 1865, and these bells were refurbished in 2000. [21] The church was grade II listed in 1967. [22]

The church's dedication to St Chad is related to a local legend that St Chad came to the area to preach, and stuck a stone cross into the ground to mark the occasion. [23] The cross, parts of which were found in the churchyard, is now contained within the church, but archaeological evidence points to it dating from the 10th or 11th centuries, whereas St Chad was alive in the 7th century. [24] The head of the cross was discovered underneath the church during the rebuild of 1865 and when placed upon the base, reaches to a height of 6 feet (1.8 m). [25]

The churchyard, which is set in two stages of upper and lower due to the downward slope to the south, was officially closed in 1877 when it measured 0.653 acres (0.264 ha); however, interments continued as it contains one Commonwealth War Grave from the First World War era, and a war memorial. [26] [27] The church is set atop a slope on high ground about 280 metres (920 ft) above sea level which has a view southwards over the Upper Nidderdale valley which is said to be one of the best views from a church in England; [28] [29] [30] [31] Clare Balding commented that the view was probably the best view in the world from a church. [32] The view from the valley upwards towards the church has a similar effect; "..spectacular topography presents the church as an iconic landmark so often photographed from the lower lying land to the south." [33]

Parish

As a chapel, it was in the parish of Kirkby Malzeard which was part of the Peculier of Masham in the 18th and 19th centuries. [34] The parish records detail some of the local history over the years, such as the baptism of Eugene Aram at Middlesmoor in 1704, [35] and two people who were "rebuked in 1772 for squabbling in Middlesmoor church[sic]. [36] It was created as its own independent parish on 28 July 1863. [37] [38] The church is in the parish and benefice of Upper Nidderdale which is in the deanery of Ripon, the archdeaconry of Richmond and Craven and the Diocese of Leeds. [39] Historically, it had been within the Diocese of York, then was moved into the Diocese of Chester. [40]

Notes

  1. ↑ Historic England state the renovation/rebuild occurred in 1864, but the contract was not awarded to Crossland until 1865. [12]

References

  1. ↑ Bibby, Andrew (2006). Wharfedale and Nidderdale: the southern Yorkshire Dales. London: Frances Lincoln. p. 117. ISBN   9780711225534.
  2. ↑ Bogg, Edmund (1891). Nidderdale and the vale of the Nidd from Nun Monkton to Great Whernside. Leeds: Bogg. p. 53. OCLC   1454979310.
  3. ↑ Jennings 1983, p. 105.
  4. ↑ Weatherhead, William (1988) [1838]. The history of Netherdale, from the times of the Ancient Britons to the present time. Yeadon: P. Graham. pp. 16–17. OCLC   1454894759.
  5. ↑ Muir, Richard (1998). The Dales of Yorkshire: a portrait. London: Bloomsbury. p. 199. ISBN   9781862000360.
  6. ↑ Jennings 1983, p. 372.
  7. ↑ Slack, Margaret (1986). The bridges of Lancashire and Yorkshire. London: Robert Hale. p. 31. ISBN   0709028148.
  8. ↑ Grainge, William (1863). Nidderdale: Or, An Historical, Topographical, and Descriptive Sketch of the Valley of the Nidd. London: Thomas Thorpe. p. 159. OCLC   6678669.
  9. ↑ Wolffe, John, ed. (2005). Yorkshire returns of the 1851 Census of Religious Worship / v. 2 West Riding (North). York: Borthwick Publications. p. 36. ISBN   1904497101.
  10. ↑ Liber Ecclesiasticus. An authentic statement of the revenues of the Established Church compiled from the report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the Revenues and Patronage of the established Church in England and Wales. London: Hamilton, Adams & Co. 1835. p. 137. OCLC   1064949647.
  11. ↑ Weatherhead, William (1988) [1838]. The history of Netherdale, from the times of the Ancient Britons to the present time. Yeadon: P. Graham. p. 16. OCLC   1454894759.
  12. ↑ Binns, Sheila (2020). W. H. Crossland: An Architectural Biography. Bristol: Lutterworth Press. p. 51. ISBN   9780718895488.
  13. ↑ "Middlesmoor Church". The Yorkshire Gazette. No. 2, 451. 25 August 1866. p. 7. OCLC   12067961.
  14. ↑ Leach, Peter; Pevsner, Nikolaus; Minnis, John (2009) [1959]. the buildings of England; Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the north. London: Yale University Press. p. 594. ISBN   978-0-300-12665-5.
  15. ↑ "Middlesmoor: St Chad - CHR Church". facultyonline.churchofengland.org. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
  16. ↑ MCACA 2010, p. 9.
  17. ↑ Binns, Sheila (2020). W. H. Crossland: An Architectural Biography. Bristol: Lutterworth Press. pp. 51–53. ISBN   9780718895488.
  18. ↑ Speight 1906, p. 548.
  19. ↑ Speight, Harry (1894). Nidderdale and the garden of the Nidd: a Yorkshire Rhineland. Being a complete account, historical, scientific, and descriptive, of the beautiful valley of the Nidd. London: Elliot Stock. p. 487. OCLC   6678674.
  20. ↑ Baldwin, John; Jackson, Tim; Johnston, Ron, eds. (2012). Dove's guide for church bell ringers to the rings of bells of the world. Guildford: Central Council of Church Bell Ringers. p. 86. ISBN   9780900271953.
  21. ↑ MCACA 2010, p. 3.
  22. ↑ Historic England. "Church of St Chad (Grade II) (1174129)". National Heritage List for England . Retrieved 12 December 2025.
  23. ↑ Barker, Paul (1999). Yorkshire Villages. Parkgate Books. p. 58. ISBN   9781902616315.
  24. ↑ Collingwood, W. G. (1915). "Anglian and Anglo-Danish sculpture in the West Riding". Yorkshire Archaeological Journal. 23. Leeds: Yorkshire Archaeological Society: 219–221. ISSN   0084-4276.
  25. ↑ Speight 1906, p. 550.
  26. ↑ "Middlesmoor (St Chad) churchyard". www.cwgc.org. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
  27. ↑ MCACA 2010, p. 14.
  28. ↑ "298" (Map). Nidderdale. 1:25,000. Explorer. Ordnance Survey. 2015. ISBN   978-0-319-24550-7.
  29. ↑ Rugg, Julie (2015). Churchyard and Cemetery: Tradition and Modernity in Rural North Yorkshire. Oxford: Manchester University Press. p. 77. ISBN   9780719089206.
  30. ↑ Mitchell, William Reginald (1999). The story of the Yorkshire Dales. Chichester: Phillimore. p. 125. ISBN   9781860770883.
  31. ↑ Bailey, Brian (1994). Churchyards of England and Wales / Brian Bailey. Leicester: Magna Books. p. 42. ISBN   1854226134.
  32. ↑ "Showing pride in Pateley Bridge" . infoweb.newsbank.com. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
  33. ↑ MCACA 2010, p. 5.
  34. ↑ Crossley, E. W. (1939). "Visitations of the Peculiar of Masham, 1741–1847". Yorkshire Archaeological Journal. 34. Leeds: Yorkshire Archaeological Society: 49. ISSN   0084-4276.
  35. ↑ Tyson, Nancy Jane (23 September 2004). "Aram, Eugene". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/602.(Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)
  36. ↑ Peach, Howard (2003). Curious tales of old North Yorkshire. Wilmslow: Sigma Leisure. p. 87. ISBN   1850587930.
  37. ↑ Speight 1906, p. 547.
  38. ↑ Jennings 1983, p. 438.
  39. ↑ "St Chad's, Middlesmoor". www.achurchnearyou.com. Retrieved 21 October 2025.
  40. ↑ Speight 1906, pp. 546–547.

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