Nominal: 829.5 Hz Weight: 1540 lbs Diameter: 41.38" Bell 1 of 3
Founded by John Taylor & Co 1877
Dove Bell ID: 2254 Tower ID: 15382 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
East Heslerton: St Andrew
Overview
Grid reference: SE 926 766
This Victorian church stands within a large churchyard at the southern edge of the modest hamlet of East Heslerton, 8 miles south-west of Scarborough in the lightly populated rolling countryside of the Vale of Pickering. It is the third building to have occupied the site, , the previous building having been a modest 19th-century chapel of ease, probably built c 1855. Norman corbels from the earliest church are reportedly built into the belfry stage.
Visiting and facilities
Building is closed for worship
Churches Conservation Trust
Building
Ground Plan Description and Dimensions
Ground plan:
Chancel (apsidal), 5-bay nave, western narthex porch, north-east vestry, south west baptistery, and north tower.
Dimensions:
Nave 23m (70ft) by 12m (37ft).
Footprint of Church buildings: 286 m²
Description of Archaeology and History
This church is apparently the third to have occupied this site, the previous building having been a modest 19th-century chapel of ease, probably built c 1855. Norman corbels from the earliest church are reportedly built into the belfry stage.
The area around East and West Heslerton is an archaeological site of national importance, with fieldworks and underground remains of a substantial Romano-British and Saxon proto-urban settlement. The large-scale excavations here of the 1980’s and 90’s have changed our perception of the late Roman and early Saxon period. There are plainly visible earthworks in the fields to the south and to the east of the church, probably Saxon, early medieval and post-medieval in date, including a moated enclosure directly adjacent.
The present building was designed in 1873 by G E Street for Sir Tatton Sykes of Sledmere House, who also renovated another 13 churches in the local area. Building work was completed in 1877. The original drawings are still held at the R I B A. It was the most expensive church designed by Street in the area, and the only one where he was able to design a church from beginning to end.
Exterior Description
The church is in the Transitional style, with lancet windows throughout and a definite slightly exotic Italian feel. The most striking feature is the huge tower which rises from a square base with angle buttresses of two steep weatherings, into the octagonal broached spire reaching to a height of some 105 feet, with a weather cock on its pinnacle.
The tower is of two stages, with angle buttresses of two weatherings to the top of the second stage. The lower stage has windows of three stepped lancets in the north and west walls, with a pointed doorway beneath the latter, and a small sexfoil just above the vestry roof gable (see below). Across the top of the square base are three equally sized small lancets in each face, sandwiched between string courses.
The octagonal belfry stage above has tall louvred belfry openings with continuous mouldings around the pointed heads, between which are statues of the four fathers of the Latin Church, St. Ambrose, St Augustine, St Gregory, and St Jerome. These are by James Redfern and were originally intended for the north porch of Bristol Cathedral. They caused a furore because the Dean considered them too papist, and Street rescued them and installed them here.
The walls of the main body of the church are pierced by simple pointed lancets, with six around the apse of the chancel, and three each in the nave walls. The chancel, which is considerably higher than the nave, has slim buttresses of one steep weathering to each bay and larger ones with gablets at the west end.
The vestry, which is attached to the chancel but has its own separate gabled roof with a massive chimney rising to the height of the chancel roof, has an east window composed of five stepped lancets.
The west gable above the steeply sloping narthex/porch roof is pierced by five stepped lancets. The finial cross was recently restored after it blew off on Christmas eve 1997. The church has certainly had its share of inclement weather (it was raining hard during the visit); the east end cross was restored by Redman and sons of Cloughton in 1984, and the weather vane blew off in 1964 and was finally restored in 1992, by Sherburn Forge.
The porch (known as the “Howsham porch”) at the west end of the church is supported by two granite piers on dwarf walls flanking the steps up to the porch, with heavy italianate floriate capitals. A round-arched doorway with sedilia with granite shafts, plain moulded capitals and chevron mouldings around the pointed head gives access to the nave, flanked by recessed lancets.
Building Materials
Sandstone
Unknown
The walls are built of Aislaby sandstone ashlar
Slate
Unknown
Spire roof
Clay
Unknown
Clay tiles and clay ridge tiles on roofs except spire
Interior
Interior Description
the protruding south-west baptistery with tunnel-vaulted roof is to the immediate south of the western door, a sexfoil (as with all the windows, with very deep reveals) lighting the font behind a fine wrought iron gated screen. The encaustic tiled floor is particularly elaborate here.
The nave has fine oak pews set into an oak boarded floor; the entire rest of the church floor is made up of encaustic tiles of high quality. The four western bays of the nave have a waggon roof, the eastern bay cross-vaulted in timber. The windows have shafts with floriate capitals, as in the chancel (see below).
Moving down the nave, the tall pointed tower arch of two orders (inner order carried on shafts with moulded capitals, the outer roll-moulded) opens off to the north, with the door to the Vestry to the right; above this is a beautiful carving of the Annunciation, possibly also by Redman. The tower space has a fine stone ribbed roof. The organ case now partly blocks the view of this and of the fine stained glass in the north and, particularly, west window.
Two steps lead up to the chancel from the nave through a low stone wall with fine wrought iron gated screen. The choir stalls and clergy desk beyond are also original and of oak. The sanctuary is one step higher, with three more to the altar, above which is a polyptych (see below). Double sedilia with granite shafts, plain moulded capitals and chevron mouldings around the arches, piscina. The sexpartite stone-ribbed vaulted roof is carried on granite rere-shafts with, again, floriate capitals.
Fixtures and fittings
Altar
1870s
Large oak chest with blind tracery panels
Reredos
1870s
A painted polyptych, representing the "Te Deum Laudamus”.
Pulpit
1870s
The pulpit is very fine, of Caen stone and Derbyshire Shell marble.
Lectern
1870s
Brass eagle
Font (object)
1870s
Caen stone font, octagonal with lobed sides.
Organ (object)
Unknown
Two manual pipe organ by J W Walker, not the original instrument, a harmonium which was in the chancel, but brought in 1937 from a disused church in York.
Bells
Nominal: 1041 Hz Weight: 921 lbs Diameter: 34.5" Bell 2 of 3
Founded by John Taylor & Co 1877
Dove Bell ID: 19404 Tower ID: 15382 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Nominal: 932.5 Hz Weight: 1085 lbs Diameter: 37.13" Bell 3 of 3
Founded by John Taylor & Co 1876
Dove Bell ID: 19405 Tower ID: 15382 - View Tower Listed: No Canons: Removed Turnings: unturned Cracked: No
Churchyard
Grid reference: SE 926 766
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
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
Quinquennial Inspections
Submit a change
If you notice something incorrect or missing, please explain it in the form below and submit it to our team for review.