St Martin's Church, Whenby
Encyclopedia
St Martin's Church, Whenby, is a redundant
Anglican
church in the village of Whenby
, North Yorkshire
, England . It has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
.
in the Trust on 19 October 1983.
with Welsh slate
roofs. Its plan consists of a two-bay
nave
, a two-bay chancel
, an aisle
running to the north of the nave and the chancel, a south porch and a west tower. The architectural style is Perpendicular. The east end of the aisle forms a chapel. The tower is in two stages, it has angle buttress
es and an embattled
parapet
. In the bottom stage is a blocked west doorway with a pointed arch. The upper stage has a single-light bell opening on the north side, and two-light bell openings on the other sides. The nave and aisle have two-light windows and a north door. In the chancel is a three-light east window, and two-light windows on its south wall. The chapel has a two-light east and north windows. The porch is considered to be particularly elaborate. The exterior of the church is embattled throughout. Inside the church is a tower arch, but no chancel arch. Between the nave and the aisle is a two-bay arcade
, and a similar arcade divides the chapel from the chancel.
in style. In the south wall of the chancel is a piscina
. The font
dates from the 15th century and has an octagonal bowl. The oak benches in the nave date probably from the 16th century. The church contains a parish chest from the same period. Over the south door are the coat of arms
of George III
dated 1821. In the north wall of the tower is the cast iron
door of a safe. The ring
consists of three bells. The oldest of these is dated from about 1380. The others were cast in 1694 by Samuel I Smith, and by John Warner & Sons in 1913.
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
Anglican
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
church in the village of Whenby
Whenby
Whenby is a civil parish, and small village, in Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England.Whenby lies between Sheriff Hutton and Brandsby, on Main Street, and a little to the east of the Howardian Hills. It has an area of , and is situated approximately north of York and east of Easingwold....
, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England . It has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
.
History
It is considered that the church was reconstructed in the 15th century on the site of an earlier church. It was extensively restored between 1871 and 1910. St Martin's was declared redundant on 1 April 1982, and was vestedVesting
In law, vesting is to give an immediately secured right of present or future enjoyment. One has a vested right to an asset that cannot be taken away by any third party, even though one may not yet possess the asset. When the right, interest or title to the present or future possession of a legal...
in the Trust on 19 October 1983.
Structure
The church is constructed in ironstoneIronstone
Ironstone is a sedimentary rock, either deposited directly as a ferruginous sediment or created by chemical repacement, that contains a substantial proportion of an iron compound from which iron either can be or once was smelted commercially. This term is customarily restricted to hard coarsely...
with Welsh slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roofs. Its plan consists of a two-bay
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
nave
Nave
In Romanesque and Gothic Christian abbey, cathedral basilica and church architecture, the nave is the central approach to the high altar, the main body of the church. "Nave" was probably suggested by the keel shape of its vaulting...
, a two-bay chancel
Chancel
In church architecture, the chancel is the space around the altar in the sanctuary at the liturgical east end of a traditional Christian church building...
, an aisle
Aisle
An aisle is, in general, a space for walking with rows of seats on both sides or with rows of seats on one side and a wall on the other...
running to the north of the nave and the chancel, a south porch and a west tower. The architectural style is Perpendicular. The east end of the aisle forms a chapel. The tower is in two stages, it has angle buttress
Buttress
A buttress is an architectural structure built against or projecting from a wall which serves to support or reinforce the wall...
es and an embattled
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
parapet
Parapet
A parapet is a wall-like barrier at the edge of a roof, terrace, balcony or other structure. Where extending above a roof, it may simply be the portion of an exterior wall that continues above the line of the roof surface, or may be a continuation of a vertical feature beneath the roof such as a...
. In the bottom stage is a blocked west doorway with a pointed arch. The upper stage has a single-light bell opening on the north side, and two-light bell openings on the other sides. The nave and aisle have two-light windows and a north door. In the chancel is a three-light east window, and two-light windows on its south wall. The chapel has a two-light east and north windows. The porch is considered to be particularly elaborate. The exterior of the church is embattled throughout. Inside the church is a tower arch, but no chancel arch. Between the nave and the aisle is a two-bay arcade
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
, and a similar arcade divides the chapel from the chancel.
Fittings and furniture
There are oak screens between the nave and the chancel, and between the aisle and the chapel. The former screen dates from the 15th century, while the latter screen is JacobeanJacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James I of England, with whose reign it is associated.-Characteristics:...
in style. In the south wall of the chancel is a piscina
Piscina
A piscina is a shallow basin placed near the altar of a church, used for washing the communion vessels. The sacrarium is the drain itself. Anglicans usually refer to the basin, calling it a piscina. Roman Catholics usually refer to the drain, and by extension, the basin, as the sacrarium...
. The font
Baptismal font
A baptismal font is an article of church furniture or a fixture used for the baptism of children and adults.-Aspersion and affusion fonts:...
dates from the 15th century and has an octagonal bowl. The oak benches in the nave date probably from the 16th century. The church contains a parish chest from the same period. Over the south door are the coat of arms
Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom
The Royal coat of arms of the United Kingdom is the official coat of arms of the British monarch, currently Queen Elizabeth II. These arms are used by the Queen in her official capacity as monarch of the United Kingdom, and are officially known as her Arms of Dominion...
of George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
dated 1821. In the north wall of the tower is the cast iron
Cast iron
Cast iron is derived from pig iron, and while it usually refers to gray iron, it also identifies a large group of ferrous alloys which solidify with a eutectic. The color of a fractured surface can be used to identify an alloy. White cast iron is named after its white surface when fractured, due...
door of a safe. The ring
Ring of bells
"Ring of bells" is a term most often applied to a set of bells hung in the English style, typically for change ringing...
consists of three bells. The oldest of these is dated from about 1380. The others were cast in 1694 by Samuel I Smith, and by John Warner & Sons in 1913.