St Mary's Church, Conistone

Grade II listed church in North Yorkshire, England

Church in North Yorkshire, England

54°06′14″N 2°01′50″W / 54.1039°N 2.0306°W / 54.1039; -2.0306OS grid referenceSD 980 675LocationKettlewell Road, Conistone,
North YorkshireCountryEnglandDenominationAnglicanWebsiteSt Mary, ConistoneHistoryStatusParish churchArchitectureFunctional statusActiveHeritage designationGrade IIDesignated10 September 1954Architect(s)Sharpe and PaleyArchitectural typeChurchStyleNorman, GothicGroundbreaking11th centuryCompleted1846SpecificationsFloor areaLimestone with gritstone dressingsAdministrationProvinceYorkDioceseLeedsArchdeaconryCravenDeanerySkiptonParishKettlewell with ConistoneClergyVicar(s)James Theodosius

St Mary's Church is in the village of Conistone, North Yorkshire, England. It is an active Anglican parish church in the deanery of Skipton, the archdeaconry of Craven and the Diocese of Leeds.^[1] The church is recorded in the National Heritage List for England as a designated Grade II listed building.^[2]

History

The church was built in the 11th or 12th century. In 1846 the chancel was added and the nave and aisle were rebuilt under the supervision of the Lancaster architects Sharpe and Paley, who maintained its original Norman style of architecture.^[2]^[3] Another period of renovation was undertaken in the 1950s, which uncovered Saxon markings on undiscovered stones in the churchyard. This led to speculation that the church could be the oldest building in the dale, and possibly in Craven.^[4]

Architecture

St Mary's is constructed in limestone rubble, with gritstone dressings and a stone slate roof. Its plan consists of a five-bay nave with a north aisle and a south porch, and a three-bay chancel with a north vestry. On the west gable of the nave is a double bellcote. The east window has three lights. Internally there is an arcade between the nave and the north aisle. The two western arches of the arcade date from the early Norman period, and the two eastern arches are from the 14th century. The bowl of the font is also possibly Norman.^[2]

A memorial is located in the churchyard to the six cavers who died in the Mossdale Caverns tragedy of June 1967.^[5]

References

^ "Conistone: St Mary, Kettlewell". Church of England. Retrieved 21 June 2010.
^ ^a ^b ^c Historic England. "Church of St Mary, Kettlewell Road, Conistone (1296267)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
^ Brandwood, Geoff; Austin, Tim; Hughes, John; Price, James (2012), The Architecture of Sharpe, Paley and Austin, Swindon: English Heritage, p. 213, ISBN 978-1-84802-049-8
^ "Walking: A limestone treat in heart of Yorkshire Dales". Yorkshire Evening Post. 19 February 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
^ White, Clive (20 June 2017). "Memorial service to cavers who died 50 years ago". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. Retrieved 6 January 2020.