Church Heritage Record 646317

Nave with north and south aisles and south porch, chancel with north vestry, south chapel and west tower.

Approximately: nave 13.9m (45'9ft) x 6.5m (21'5ft), chancel 10.5m (34'7ft) x 5.6m (18'4ft), north aisle 4.2m (13'9ft) wide, south aisle 4.7m (15'5ft) wide, south chapel 3.7m (12ft) x 5.3m (17'5ft), tower 3.5m (11'8ft) x 3.4m (11'5ft)

As with many churches, the present building in Hornby is not the first on the site. Previously the location of an Anglian church, the current church was built starting in around 1080, with the lower stages of the tower the remnants of this work. The nave and chancel were rebuilt c.1170s, adding the north aisle at the same time, which was then widened c.1330. The south aisle was added in 1410, and the top stage of the tower was added in the 15th century. The south porch and north vestry are 19th century additions. The church underwent major works by John Loughborough Pearson (a notable architect whose works included Truro Cathedral) in 1877 at the instruction of Fanny Georgiana, the Duchess of Leeds (whose seat was Hornby Castle, in whose grounds the church sits).

Throughout its history, the church has enjoyed close ties with the landed gentry of North Yorkshire, owing much of its wealth and historic building work to the sponsorship of wealthy families from the area. Stephen, 3rd Lord of Richmond, bestowed the church and some of its land upon St Mary's Abbey, York, giving it the right to appoint priests. This was transferred to the Archbishop of York in 1220, who in turn gave it to the dean and chapter for the common fund of the church of York, making it a Peculiar of the Dean and Chapter of York, but without an ecclesiastical court of its own.

Other family ties for the church include the Conyers, who were notable patrons of the church. John Conyers of Hornby paid for the south aisle construction in 1410, whilst his grandson, William, commissioned the belfry stage of the tower. More recently, the St Mary's has lain in the grounds of Hornby Castle Park, seat of the Dukes of Leeds.

The church became Grade I listed in 1967.

St Mary's church is a medium-sized church, dominated by a tall, slender tower, with varying architectural styles featured across the building, reflecting its development with work done in most centuries since its foundation in the late 11th century. As a result, much of the building is asymmetrical, with features differing from one side to the other. 

The west tower, in four stages, is the oldest part of the church, with the first three stages built c.1080. Clock faces sit on the west and south faces of the tower at the top of the second stage. The third stage, with its narrow, round-arched belfry openings, is showcases the enduring Anglian architectural influence in the years post-Norman conquest. The top, fourth stage of the tower was added in the late 15th century in the Perpendicular style, with trefoiled belfry openings with mullion and transom, and a crenelated parapet added in the 19th century, which used to have corner pinnacles.

The south side of the church has a 19th century gabled porch extending from the south aisle, added during the work by J L Pearson. The south aisle, c.1410, features two trefoiled windows with Perpendicular tracery, with the 15th century trefoiled clerestory windows sitting above. The blocked window to the south chapel is a 19th century addition, and round the east end of the chapel is a 15th century window, also with Perpendicular tracery.

The chancel is made of sandstone ashlar, in contrast to the rubble construction of much of the rest of the church, and is largely from the 12th century. There is a 16th century priest's door set in the south side, with two 12th century round-arched windows above. The east end windows are 19th century, installed by Pearson, with three round-arched windows beneath a rose window. The vestry and organ chamber were built by Pearson on the north side of the chancel, with gables peaking above the roof of the neighbouring north aisle.

The north aisle is from c.1330 and differs in style from the south aisle. Of particular note are the tomb projection between the first and second windows and the blocked doorway between the second and third. The clerestory above is the only mirrored feature from the south side, with the same style 15th century trefoiled windows.

For a more technical description of the building, read the Historic England list entry.

In the churchyard, there is a fine collection of historic monuments, including several chest tombs, medieval cross pieces and effigies and six CWGC graves. There are seven Grade II-listed items within the boundaries of the churchyard, more details of which can be found via Historic England:

Medieval effigy

Late medieval cross shaft

Chest tomb commemorating Catherine Hole c.1746

Chest tomb commemorating Isabel Swale c.1768

Chest tomb commemorating Margaret Forster c.1798

Group of four chest tombs commemorating the Kearton family late 18th century

Sarcophagus for the Duke of Leeds early 19th century

Entry to the church is through the south porch into the south aisle. Immediately striking are the aisle pillars and arches, giving the church a wide, open feeling. The north aisle arches are late 12th century, with different patterns decorating each (one zig-zagged, one chevroned, one beaded), with quatrefoil columns and waterleaf capitals. The south aisle arches are 15th century, double-chamfered, sitting on octagonal piers with chamfered capitals. The chancel arch is a 19th century Romanesque-style chevroned pattern, drawing inspiration from the north aisle arches. The tower has a plain, late 12th century rounded arch, considerably shorter than the aisles and chancel.

The chancel and parclose screens have some 15th century woodwork, including panels in the parclose screen with late 15th century paintings of foliage, flowers and birds. The ceilings are timber and modern, likely 19th century, with lean-to roofs for the aisles and A-frame roofs for the nave and chancel (barrel-vaulted in the chancel).

There are numerous historic memorials located around the church, including 16th and 17th century monuments to members of the D'Arcy family in the south chapel and c.14th-15th century alabaster effigies of a knight and lady, possibly Sir John Conyers (builder of the chapel) and his wife, Margaret St Quentin. In the north aisle, the tomb recess contains two 14th century sandstone effigies, possibly a knight and his lady. The niche next to this recess may have once held a statue of St Cuthbert, the dedication of a chantry chapel founded in the north aisle in 1332. In the east window of the north aisle, there survive fragments of c.14th century stained glass.

The font at the west end of the nave is 12th century. The wooden pulpit on a stone plinth at the front of the nave was added by J L Pearson during his 1877 works.

Further technical details can be found in the Historic England list entry.