Description

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 25 September 2025 to correct a typo in the description and to reformat the text to current standards

NZ 1805-1905
14/118

GILLING WITH HARTFORTH AND SEDBURY
Gilling West
HIGH STREET (west side)
Church of St Agatha

4.2.69

GV
I

Church. Late C11, early C14, late C14, late C15, restoration and additions 1845. Rubble; Welsh slate, stone slate and lead roofs. West tower, nave with south aisle, south porch, inner and outer north aisles, chancel with vestry to north. Tower: late C11, raised in late C15, with stair turret added in 1845; three stages with chamfered bands in between; quoins; five-sided stair turret giving access to ringing chamber, and with pyramidal stone roof; above, chamfered vesica window; on third stage, blocked round-arched window, and above that straight-headed double-chamfered belfry opening, formerly with three closely-spaced mullions; crenellated parapet; central weathercock. On west side of tower, ground-floor segmental-arched hollow-moulded window with three pointed lights and label; second stage blank; third stage as south. North side of tower is blank except for third stage as south. East side of tower: octagonal wooden clock face on second stage; third stage as south. Porch: pointed-arched doorway, made up from fragments, part chamfered, with sundial above inscribed "Fugit Hora Ora"; hollowed section corbelling out parapet to flat lead roof; right return has small window; inside porch, bench table to left with medieval chamfered grave cover of Barningham family who held Sedbury until 1350 with cross, sword and shield with three muzzled bears rampant, bench table to right with several pre-Conquest carved stones including Anglian cross head, and medieval fragments; also the C14 south doorway of nave having double-chamfered continuously-moulded pointed arch with label. South aisle: early C14; C19 two-light west window with Decorated-style tracery; two C19 two-light south windows with Decorated-style tracery and plain parapet; C19 three-light east window with Decorated-style tracery, Welsh slate roof. South clerestory: late C15; three two-light straight-headed windows with pointed lights; plain parapet to flat lead nave roof. Outer north aisle: 1845; two-light east window, partly C14, with reticulated tracery; four C19 two-light north windows with reticulated tracery; C19 two-light west window with reticulated tracery; Welsh slate roof. Inner north aisle: 1845; five-light east window with Decorated-style tracery; matching west window; Welsh slate roof. North clerestory: late C15, matching that to south. Chancel (mainly C19): four Romanesque-style round-arched windows with continuous label, and below the third window the priest's door with rolled round arch and one shafted order with waterleaf capitals; three Romanesque-style east windows; in north wall, behind vestry, blocked Romanesque round arch containing blocked Romanesque round-arched window. Lean-to vestry: late C14; stone slate roof; pointed-arched east window with roll on chamfer, divided into two by mullion which bisects arch, and with head stops to label.

Interior: late C11 tower arch, semicircular, of even voussoirs and with simple imposts. South arcade: three bays, early C14, of double-chamfered arches with labels on octagonal piers, with square bases. Inner north arcade: similar to south arcade but without labels. Outer north arcade: C19 of four bays, matching others in style. Chancel arch: early C14; double-chamfered four-centred arch with label; above, two corbels. Chancel, north side: vestry doorway with pointed arch continuously moulded with roll, hollow and wave, label with carved animal and man on stops; inside vestry, half-tunnel vault, with two sets of diagonal ribs. South aisle: at east end, head of piscina, and C15 tomb recess with cusped gable with finial, containing grave cover with eight-armed fleury cross and sword. In tower, font with circular basin set on four shafts with waterleaf capitals. Nave has C15 roof. Nave: good quality pews, some with old finial ends. C19 reading desk and pulpit.

Choir stalls: C19, richly carved, of misericord style. Mounted in nave on north pier of tower arch: black marble monument with bas relief figures of Sir Henry Boynton and wife Isabella, died 1531, with marginal Latin inscription. Set in floor of outer north aisle, black marble grave cover commemorating another Boynton. In south aisle, wall monuments include marble tablets above recess to Matthew Raine, Vicar of Stanwick St John; Mathew Raine d1771 with Greek inscription; Matthew Raine d1807, Master of Hartforth School and Esther his wife; Matthew Raine d1811, Headmaster of Charterhouse School from 1791; east of door, marble tablet commemorating Hon James D'Arcy of Sedbury d1731, framed by fluted pilasters carrying urns above entablature, and armorial achievement; west of door, black marble tablet to James D'Arcy (ne Jessop) d1733, grandson of above, with coat of arms borne by heraldic beasts with volutes. On north wall of outer north aisle, painted George IV coat of arms dated 1827. Laybourn K, Historical Notes on the Parish Church of Gilling West, North Yorkshire, (1979); VCH i, pp 80-82.

Listing NGR: NZ1820005153

External Links

• Church of St Agatha, Gilling West at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17538298

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Sussex: East with Brighton and Hove (Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Buildings of England)
• 
  Listed Buildings, Conservation Areas and Monuments
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Devon (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)