St Mary's Church, Kirkby Fleetham

St Mary's Church'
Church of St Mary, Kirkby Fleetham
The church, in 2010
St Mary's Church'
54°21′23″N 1°34′08″W / 54.35627°N 1.56888°W / 54.35627; -1.56888
SE 28121 95722
LocationKirkby Fleetham, North Yorkshire
CountryEngland
DenominationAnglican
WebsiteA church near you
History
StatusParish church
DedicationSt Mary[1]
Architecture
Functional status
Active
Architectural type
Norman
Early English
Decorated
Administration
DioceseDiocese of Leeds
ArchdeaconryRichmond and Craven
DeaneryWensley
BeneficeLower Swale
ParishKirkby Fleetham with Langton on Swale and Scruton
Clergy
VicarJenni Lane
Listed Building – Grade II*
Designated22 August 1966
Reference no.1150928

St Mary's Church is the parish church of Kirkby Fleetham, a village in North Yorkshire, in England. Some parts of the church date back to Norman times, and the building displays three distinct types or architecture. The church was surrounded by a village, but this was depopulated, with no clear reason why. The churchyard was closed to burials in the 19th century.

History

The first church on the site was built in the Viking period, but at the time of Domesday, Fleetham was listed as having a vicar and church, and no church was listed in Kirkby.[2] Originally, the church was in its own settlement of Kirkby, and Fleetham was a separate settlement, both mentioned mentioned in the Domesday Book.[3] The church was rebuilt in stone in the 12th century, from which period the Norman south doorway survives.[4][5] The village around the church was abandoned at some point, but it is not known why.[6] The nave and south chapel date from the 13th century, while the north aisle and west tower were added in the 15th century. The church was largely rebuilt in 1871, to a design by Henry Woodyer, which provided a new north aisle and stained glass.[7] The building was grade II* listed in 1966.[6][8]

The church is built of stone and has roofs of lead and Welsh slate. It consists of a nave with a clerestory, a north aisle, a south porch, a south chapel, a chancel with a north vestry, and a west tower; the chancel measures 34 feet 2 inches (10.41 m) by 19 feet 10 inches (6.05 m), the nave is 55 feet 4 inches (16.87 m) by 18 feet 10 inches (5.74 m) and the north aisle is 56 feet 7 inches (17.25 m) by 12 feet 2 inches (3.71 m).[9] The tower has three stages, diagonal buttresses, a south stair turret, bands, two-light bell openings, and an embattled parapet.[9] The tower is very large and was fortified at some point, possibly to allow safe refuge for parishioners against marauding Scots,[10] (nearby St Gregory's at Bedale has a tower that was similarly fortified.)[11] There is also an embattled parapet along the nave. Due to some stones from pre-12th century being used, the church structure displays three different types of architecture; Norman, Early English and Decorated.[4]

The south doorway is Norman and round-arched, with one order and zigzag decoration. Inside is a Norman font, which has been reworked, an effigy of Nicholas Stapleton, who died in 1290, and a monument to William Lawrence, carved in 1785 by John Flaxman.[8][4] The effigy of Stapelton was previously under an arch in the north wall of the nave, but the restoration of 1871 saw it moved into the chancel.[12] The memorial to William Smelt MP, who died in 1755 and is buried in the church, was restored in 2020.[13] There are stained glass windows by Hardman & Co. in the chancel, south chapel, and the aisles.[14]

The churchyard was closed to burials in the 19th century.[15]

Parish, benefice and clergy

The church is part of the Kirkby Fleetham with Langton on Swale and Scruton parish, the benefice of Lower Swale, in the Deanery of Wensley, the Archdeaconry of Richmond & Craven, and the Diocese of Leeds.[16] Historically, the church was in the Deanery of Catterick, which was within the Diocese of Chester.[17][18] The incumbent of Kirkby Fleetham is the vicar for the whole benefice of Lower Swale, and is Jenni Lane.[19] Since around 1380, the church has been served by 36 vicars.[20][21][22]

The right of advowson for the church lay with the Knights Templar in 1312, the it passed to Henry le Scrope, Nicholas Stapleton and then by Roger de Sheffield on lease from the king in 1334.[9] It late became the possession of the Knights Templar again, then the Knights Hospitaller, thereafter passing to the monks of Mount St John. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the advowson passed to the crown, then to the Bishop of Ripon, though at least one vicar was appointed by Elisabeth Lawrence of Studley Royal who had connections at Kirkby Fleetham.[23][24]

Notable people

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Genuki: Data from the 'Collectio Rerum Ecclesiasticarum' from the year 1842., Yorkshire (North Riding)". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  2. ↑ Chetwynd-Stapylton, H. E. (1898). "The Stapeltons of Richmondshire". Yorkshire Archaeological Journal. 8. Leeds: Yorkshire Archaeological Society: 79. ISSN 0084-4276.
  3. ↑ Smith, A. H. (1979) [1928]. The Place Names of the North Riding of Yorkshire. English Place Name Society. p. 239. OCLC 19714705.
  4. 1 2 3 Grenville, Jane; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2023) [1966]. Yorkshire: The North Riding. The Buildings of England. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. p. 375. ISBN 978-0-300-25903-2.
  5. ↑ McCall, H. B. (1909). Memorials of old Yorkshire. London: G. Allen & sons. p. 215. OCLC 2710721.
  6. 1 2 Lloyd, Chris (13 January 2024). "History of Kirkby Fleetham, near Northallerton, revealed". Darlington and Stockton Times. Retrieved 6 March 2025.
  7. ↑ Glynne, Stephen (2007). Butler, Laurence (ed.). The Yorkshire Church Notes of Sir Stephen Glynne 1825–1874. Yorkshire/Suffolk: Yorkshire Archaeological Society/Boydell Press. p. 45. ISBN 978-1-903564-80-6.
  8. 1 2 Historic England. "Church of St Mary, Kirkby Fleetham with Fencote (Grade II*) (1150928)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 Page 1968, p. 322.
  10. ↑ Minting, Stuart (28 February 2026). "Historic village enjoys its 'feast day'". The Yorkshire Post. Country Post. p. 14. ISSN 0963-1496.
  11. ↑ Gleeson, Janet (10 July 2017). "Major changes planned for ancient church". The Northern Echo. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  12. ↑ Chetwynd-Stapylton, H. E (1898). "The Stapeltons of Richmondshire". Yorkshire Archaeological Journal. 8. Leeds: Yorkshire Archaeological Society: 96. ISSN 0084-4276.
  13. ↑ "A record of conservation carried out to the monument of William Smelt Esq" (PDF). prod.cofeheritage.org. January 2020. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  14. ↑ Grenville, Jane; Pevsner, Nikolaus (2023) [1966]. Yorkshire: The North Riding. The Buildings of England. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. p. 376. ISBN 978-0-300-25903-2.
  15. ↑ "Kirkby Fleetham: St Mary". heritage.churchofengland.org. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "St Mary". www.achurchnearyou.com. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  17. ↑ "Genuki: Kirkby Fleetham parish registers: Dates and current locations etc., Yorkshire (North Riding)". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  18. ↑ Butler, Lawrence A. S., ed. (1990). The Archdeaconry of Richmond in the eighteenth century: Bishop Gastrell's 'Notitia, ' the Yorkshire parishes, 1714-1725. Leeds: Yorkshire Archaeological Society. p. 78. ISBN 0-902122-56-8.
  19. ↑ "Appointments". The Church Times. 9 August 2019. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  20. ↑ Crockford's clerical dictionary 1998/1999 (95 ed.). London: Church House Publishing. 1999. pp. 390, 450. ISBN 9780715180938.
  21. ↑ Crockfords Clerical Directory 2006/07: A Directory of the Clergy of the Church of England, Wales, Ireland & the Scottish Episcopal (99 ed.). London: Church House Publishing. 2005. pp. 888, 894. ISBN 9780715180938.
  22. ↑ McLee, Carol A., ed. (1989). St Mary, Kirby [sic] Fleetham, N. YKs : monumental inscriptions. Cleveland Family History Society. p. E. OCLC 655784934.
  23. ↑ Page 1968, p. 323.
  24. ↑ "Death of the Rv. T. C. Wilson". The Yorkshire Herald and the York Herald. No. 5, 759. 24 July 1875. p. 14. OCLC 1325754826.
  25. ↑ Hots, Susan (23 September 2004). "Smelt, Leonard". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/25754. (Subscription, Wikipedia Library access or UK public library membership required.)

Sources

  • Page, William, ed. (1968). The Victoria history of the county of York, North Riding volume 1. Pall Mall, London: Dawsons. ISBN 0712903097.
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