Nominal: 1541.5 Hz Diameter: 22.5" Bell 1 of 2
Dove Bell ID: 62167 Tower ID: 24703 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Wharram: St Mary
Overview
Grid reference: SE 863 659
A small but fascinating medieval church with an ancient west tower, set back from the old Roman road from Beverley to Malton. St Mary's has preserved the typical dimensions of an Anglo-Saxon church with constant additions from the early 12th century, and is an enigma which has exercised many writers.
Visiting and facilities
Building is open for worship
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Footprint of Church buildings: 149 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
This is a fascinating church which poses many problems of dating and interpretation. The construction is particularly difficult to date exactly. It has been argued that its origins are Anglo-Saxon due to the dimensions of the nave and tower and the details of the belfry openings, though other details are clearly Norman. The manor of Wharram is described in Domesday, still lying waste after William’s harrowing of the North, but no church is mentioned.
It is postulated here that the larger east bay of the 2-bay aisle arcade belongs in the early 14th century and opened on to a projecting chantry chapel, and that the smaller west bay was added to create an aisle out of this in the late 18th or early 19th century. The south wall of the nave was apparently rebuilt at this time or shortly afterwards.
The church was restored in 1862-4 by J B and W Atkinson at the expense of Lord Middleton, the patron. The chancel was rebuilt, probably on the old foundations, and the south porch was added. Most of the furnishings and fittings date to this restoration.
There are important prehistoric, Roman, medieval and post-medieval remains in the near vicinity, most notably the famous medieval and post-medieval site of Wharram Percy, and of course the other medieval churches in the area. The church at Wharram Percy was the mother church of St Mary Wharram-le-Street; it was abandoned shortly after World War II and is now a controlled ruin under the care of English Heritage.
Exterior Description
this building has preserved the typical dimensions of an Anglo-Saxon church with constant additions from the early 12th century, and is an enigma which has exercised many writers. Like Weaverthorpe it is an important example of the so-called Saxo-Norman overlap, but clearly somewhat earlier. The arguments for a pre- and post-Conquest origin have been expounded at length by Bilson (1923), Taylor and Taylor (1965), and most recently by Fernie (2000), but the tall, slim tower with its weatherbeaten stonework and worn belfry openings is tremendously evocative whichever side it lies.
The tower stands on a stepped plinth of two orders. The masonry is roughly coursed rubble with side alternate, not particularly pronounced quoins. Like Weaverthorpe, the tower is of four stages, but unlike it has a west doorway, the subject of much scholarly dispute. The doorway has been blocked in the 19th century and its upper part turned into a window, but the details are still clear. The doorway is tall, narrow and round-headed, of two moulded orders carried on narrow shafts with bell-moulded bases and pendant triangle capitals, dated to the early 12th century by comparison with the tower doorway at St Rule’s in St Andrews in Scotland, which like Wharram was owned from c 1120 by Nostell priory. Like the tower arch, this feature combines typical “Anglo-Saxon” dimensions and “Norman” detail.
However, there seems to be good evidence that the doorway was inserted (Taylor and Taylor 1965). One must also ask why the construction of this tower is so much rougher, and with quoining, than the smooth ashlar used at nearby Weaverthorpe if the dating is the same, ditto the clearly different belfry openings, far more Anglo-Saxon in style (nothing that must be Norman) than those at Weaverthorpe. However, the fact that Wharram may be somewhat earlier does not mean that it is pre-Conquest. The Northumbrian tradition is so distinct and long-lasting that art historical dating cannot provide such precision.
There are round-headed slit windows to the second and third stage, the heads carved out of rectangular blocks, also the case with the belfry windows. The belfry stage is defined by a string-course. The double round-headed belfry windows rest on hollow-chamfered imposts and hollow-chamfered slabs which are taken through the wall, the latter carried on a central plain cylindrical shaft. The openings are flanked by strip pilasters with corbels and chamfered imposts, which may have supported a hood-mould, now gone; the plain parapet above has clearly been rebuilt (in 1862?), and is slightly corbelled out. The windows appear original to the fabric, the dating is probably mid or late 11th century, though a date as early as the 10th century has been suggested by H M Taylor.
Little remains of the original fabric of the Romanesque church apart from the tower, but the quoins of the nave are visible on all but the south-east corner, where the south wall has evidently been rebuilt beyond it. This must have happened before the porch was added in 1862, as the porch is not keyed in and abutts the nave wall. The two paired lancet windows with cusped heads are evidently also part of the restoration of 1862. The roof is canted over the aisle. The wheel cross finials shown in old photographs are now gone.
The chancel is considerably lower than the nave. It would appear to have been completely rebuilt in 1862, perhaps on the old chamfered plinth. There are two pointed lancets in the south wall with cusped heads, of a piece with the nave windows described above, while the north wall is blind. The east window is of three stepped lancets with cusped heads and a continuous hood-mould over.
The porch external doorway has a pointed chamfered head which dies into the walls and recessed cusping, under a hood-mould with corbel stops. The inner doorway has been rebuilt, as shown by the jambs which incorporate a section of a 14th-century grave slab carved with a floriate cross. Since there are more fragments built into the west wall of the north aisle, one must conclude that this was done at the time the latter was built, ie some time around 1800. The re-set frame consists of a mid-12th-century round-headed arch of five orders, the innermost rolled, the outermost with billet and zigzag, carried on shafts, the left capital volute, its equally eroded partner fluted. The whole rather gives the impression of having been cobbled together.
Building Fabric and Features
Stained Glass
Good quality east window by H V Milner, the Good Shepherd flanked by angels holding the Sacred Monograms. Dedication to William Pinkerton, who died June 4th 1915 aged 68 years. Other windows have coloured frames.
Interior
Interior Description
The tower arch is plastered over, as are all the interior walls. It is very tall, the horseshoe-shaped arch of two orders carried on detached shafts with capitals carved as pendant triangles, the shafts having again bell-moulded bases. It is clearly contemporary with the west doorway described above.
The nave likely a single-bay, late 14th-century chantry chapel projecting north. The present aisle of two bays was created much later by the demolition of the west wall of the chapel and the building of a west bay. The vertical break in the masonry in the aisle north wall (externally and internally) is as clear as could be.
The nave and aisle have bench pews and other standard Victorian fittings, the only exception being a wall tablet and the Norman font at the west end of the north aisle and the Georgian altar table at the east end. The floor is of quarry tiles with carpets, the nave roof is a standard Victorian arch-braced construction in pitch pine.
Looking east, the Early English pointed chancel arch looks very fresh, and doubtless dates to the 1862 restoration. It sits rather incongruously on chamfered and carved Norman jambs, carried on detached shafts with volute capitals. The chancel is reached by one step, with one more to the sanctuary, and is wholly Victorian in atmosphere. The floor is carpeted, and the chancel has a waggon roof.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
1864
Wooden chest with cross carved into the central panel.
Altar
18th Century
The aisle altar is a large 18th century table, finely detailed with a slightly mutilated fluted frieze after the removal of a plaque from the front.
Reredos
1864
Wooden cross mounted in the window sill behind the altar with dedication inscribed on a wooden tablet underneath to the Rev W C Chilman 1877-1916.
Pulpit
1864
Haxagonal, wooden
Lectern
1864
Wooden reading desk
Font (object)
Norman tub font. Victorian octagonal base and plain wooden lid.
Organ (object)
Small, electronic
Bells
Nominal: 1379.5 Hz Diameter: 24.75" Bell 2 of 2
Founded by John Conyers 1617
Dove Bell ID: 62168 Tower ID: 24703 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Churchyard
Grid reference: SE 863 659
Burial and War Grave Information
It is unknown whether the building is consecrated.
It is unknown whether the churchyard has been used for burial.
It is unknown whether the churchyard is used for burial.
It is unknown whether 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
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