Nominal: 665.5 Hz Weight: 2024 lbs Diameter: 46.94" Bell 1 of 8
Founded by John Taylor & Co 1911
Dove Bell ID: 4571 Tower ID: 11313 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Middleham: St Alkelda & St Mary
Diocese of Leeds
Church, 646421
http://www.jervaulxchurches.co.ukOverview
Grid reference: SE 126 878
Middleham is a significant historic market town in the heart of Wensleydale, with particular links to Richard III through the nearby ruined castle. The church of St Alkelda and St Mary has contributed to and benefited from the importance of the town over the centuries, being made a collegiate church and a royal peculiar in the 15th century. The building has origins in the 13th century, and is predominantly 14th and 15th century in construction, bearing signs of work and its inhabitants over the centuries since.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Toilets Ramped entrance Hearing loop
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Nave and chancel with aisles, south porch and west tower.
Dimensions:
Approximately: nave 16.9m (55'6ft) x 5.9m (19'5ft), chancel 8.2m (27ft) x 5.1m (16'8ft), north aisle 3m (9'9ft) wide, south aisle 2.8m (9'4ft) wide, west tower 4.3m (14'2ft) x 4.3m (14'2ft)
Footprint of Church buildings: 438 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
Middleham's church has a rare dedication: there is only one other known church dedicated to Alkelda, at nearby Giggleswick. She is a relatively unknown saint, with contested evidence about her historicity. The legend goes that she was a Christian Saxon princess or noblewoman killed by two Danish women around 800AD, and it is suggested that she is buried underneath the church in Middleham: during restoration works inside the church in 1878, an old stone coffin with human remains was found beneath the floor of the nave, believed to be the burial of St Alkelda. The burial location is now marked by a plaque on a pillar inside the church.
An alternative interpretation is that Alkelda is a derivation of the Old English 'haeligkeld', meaning 'holy well'. There was an historic holy well in Middleham (and also one in Giggleswick), although it has long since dried up. Either way, the dedication is an unusual and interesting one, contributing to the rich history of the church in Middleham. Her death is depicted in the west window of the north aisle, with fragments of 14th century glass.
The earliest evidence of the present building is from 1280, from a church plan showing a nave, narrow aisles and a chancel. Much of the current church is of 14th century build in the Decorated style, with later significant additions. In 1340, the chancel was widened at the south wall, and the south aisle windows appear to be 15th century when it is thought the clerestory was added, with tower being perhaps slightly older. In the 18th century, interior works included the removal of a rood screen. More recent works include the 1901 widening of the north side of the chancel, when a new arch was inserted into the wall.
Much of the history of the church is tied in to the prominence of the village and castle. The castle, long in the hands of the prominent Neville family, held the patronage of the church from 1281. In 1477, Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later to become Richard III), made St Alkelda and St Mary's a collegiate church, with a dean, six chaplains, four clerks and six choristers. In 1481, Middleham became a royal peculiar, exempt from the episcopal jurisdiction of the Archbishop of York.
This governing arrangement continued for nearly four centuries, with ebbs in how strong the chapter was, until its status as a collegiate church and a peculiar was ended by Act of Parliament in 1845 and it was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Ripon in 1857 upon the death of the final Dean.
The church became Grade I listed in 1967.
Exterior Description
The church is described as being of largely 14th and 15th century construction by Historic England and Pevsner, predominantly in the Perpendicular style with elements of Decorated. The embattled, three-stage west tower dominates the view, with its clock faces on south and east sides of the tower, sitting above cinquefoiled, two-light belfry openings on all four sides. The west tower window is three cinquefoiled lights, in Perpendicular style, with hoodmould. The tower has diagonal stepped buttresses which rise to the third stage. The south elevation of the tower has a pointed arch doorway with three small rectangular windows above, lighting the stairwell.
The south porch is 19th century, housing a 13th century Decorated doorway with a 14th century sculpture (possibly from the castle nearby) depicting the Crucifixion above, described by Pevsner as 'thoroughly Decorated and clearly once very good'. The north and south aisles are lit by two- and three-light windows with trefoil tracery with hoodmoulds, with the clerestory windows of similar design sitting above. These windows are largely from the 15th century. Stepped buttresses flank the windows and the parapet is adorned with gargoyles. Along the wall on the south side are several tombs and memorials, including a chest tomb against the south aisle wall and two tomb covers against the porch.
The chancel east window is 14th century, Decorated, with four trefoiled lights with curvilinear tracery, ogee-headed. Below the window are two blocked windows, possibly serving as lights for a crypt. On the north side of the chancel is the 19th century vestry, with a Decorated-style window.
A more detailed, technical description of the architecture can be found in the Historic England list entry.
Building Materials
Limestone
14th Century
Limestone
Millstone Grit
14th Century
Millstone Grit
Sandstone
14th Century
Yoredale Sandstone
Interior
Interior Description
The four nave and aisle bays are delineated by 14th century Decorated arches of two chamfered orders on octagonal piers with simple capitals. The chancel and tower arches match these, giving a pleasing stylistic consistency to the interior. The canons' stalls in the chancel reflect the earlier collegiate status of the church, dating from the early 18th century, installed under Dean Cotes, with saints' names carved above the seats to indicate seniority, the Dean's seated under St Mary. The chancel walls were painted and stencilled in 1900, with the oak reredos erected a year later.
A number of notable items decorate the church, including a 14th century octagonal font with a tall, Perpendicular canopy (thought to be partly 15th century, partly more recent alterations). On the north wall of the tower is the tomb cover of Robert Thornton, Abbot of Jervaulx, who died in 1533. The tomb cover and remains of Thornton (buried near the pulpit) were likely brought to Middleham to prevent destruction during the disestablishment of the abbey in 1536. The north aisle window lintels contain fragments of reused medieval grave covers, whilst in the floor of the nave can be seen a part of an Anglian cross-shaft.
A plaque on the first pillar of the south arcade of the nave indicates the purported burial location of St Alkelda, based on the discovery of the coffin in 1878.
Fixtures and fittings
Clock
19th Century located in Tower made by William Potts & Sons from Leeds in 1884
Historical Notes
1884 - 1884
Period Qualifier: 2
Bells
Nominal: 1334.5 Hz Weight: 560 lbs Diameter: 27.31" Bell 2 of 8
Founded by John Taylor & Co 1911
Dove Bell ID: 31330 Tower ID: 11313 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 1256 Hz Weight: 570 lbs Diameter: 28.5" Bell 3 of 8
Founded by John Taylor & Co 1911
Dove Bell ID: 31331 Tower ID: 11313 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 1119 Hz Weight: 648 lbs Diameter: 30.44" Bell 4 of 8
Founded by John Taylor & Co 1911
Dove Bell ID: 31332 Tower ID: 11313 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 999.5 Hz Weight: 741 lbs Diameter: 32.56" Bell 5 of 8
Founded by John Taylor & Co 1911
Dove Bell ID: 31333 Tower ID: 11313 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 888 Hz Weight: 893 lbs Diameter: 35.5" Bell 6 of 8
Founded by John Taylor & Co 1911
Dove Bell ID: 31334 Tower ID: 11313 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 840 Hz Weight: 1062 lbs Diameter: 37.44" Bell 7 of 8
Founded by John Taylor & Co 1911
Dove Bell ID: 31335 Tower ID: 11313 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 750 Hz Weight: 1434 lbs Diameter: 41.63" Bell 8 of 8
Founded by John Taylor & Co 1911
Dove Bell ID: 31336 Tower ID: 11313 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Churchyard
Grid reference: SE 126 878
Burial and War Grave Information
The church/building is consecrated.
The churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
The churchyard is closed for burial by order in council.
The date of the burial closure order is 09/12/2009
The churchyard has war graves.
National Heritage record for England designations
There are no records of National Heritage assets within the curtilage of this site.
Environment
Ancient, Veteran & Notable Trees
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
There are no records of Ancient, Veteran or Notable Trees within the curtilage of this site.
Renewables
| Renewable | Installed |
|---|---|
| Solar PV Panels | No |
| Solar Thermal Panels | No |
| Biomass | No |
| Wind Turbine | No |
| Air Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ground Source Heat Pump | No |
| Ev Charging | No |
Species summary
There are no records of species within the curtilage of this site.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
'Seek advice' Species
More information on species and action to be taken upon discovery.
Caring for God's Acre is a conservation charity working to support groups and individuals to investigate, care for, and enjoy the wildlife and heritage treasures found within churchyards and other burial grounds. Look on their website for information and advice and please contact their staff directly. They can help you manage this churchyard for people and wildlife.
To learn more about all the species recorded against this church, go to the Burial Ground Portal within the NBN Atlas. You can check the spread of records through the years, discovering what has been recorded and when, plus what discoveries might remain to be uncovered.
Further information
Sources
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