Church Heritage Record 643274

South-west tower; 3-bay nave, north aisle and shallow south porch; apsidal chancel; vestry.

Nave c 13m (43ft) x 6m (19’6ft).

It is not an exaggeration to say that the whole surrounding area is an archaeological site of national importance.  There are several Scheduled Monuments nearby, including the Wold Entrenchments, a complex of late prehistoric boundary earthworks possibly Bronze Age in date, tumuli of this date, Iron Age settlements and square barrows, and Romano-British settlements and a cremation cemetery, though not contiguous to the village itself.  There have also been occasional finds of Neolithic flint tools in the immediate area. 

There are also important Saxon, Medieval and Post-Medieval remains, including the Early Saxon proto-urban settlements around West Heslerton, the early Norman defended settlement and church at Weaverthorpe, a Deserted Medieval Village at Boyholes to the south, the famous Medieval and Post-medieval site of Wharram Percy, and of course the other Medieval churches in the area. The large-scale excavations at some of these sites have changed our perception of the late Roman, Saxon and Medieval periods. The Historic Environment Record (HER) should be consulted and contact made with the County Archaeologist if any development of the site is being considered.

Foxholes is mentioned in Domesday.  There was a Norman church, though no structural remains have survived; the list of rectors begins in 1287. The advowson belonged to the Abbey of St Mary in York until the Reformation, when it reverted to the crown. The rectory was until recently in the patronage of the Sykes family.  The Medieval Chapel-of-Ease of St Nicholas at Butterwick was formerly in the parish, but this was detached in 1858, and now constitutes a separate parish.  Iron and brass founding were carried on in the village, hence the local name “Smithy Hill”. There was a Methodist Chapel, now closed.

There appears to have been a rebuild or restoration around 1777. The present church building was built in 1866 by George Fowler Jones, a prolific Scottish architect based in York, who also restored neighbouring Butterwick church.  Local tradition has it that the church is on or near the site of the earlier church.  The rebuild was paid for by the Rector, R Henry Foord.  He also paid for the fine set of furnishings. The stone carving was by Job Cole of York.

The 4-stage tower has a pyramid roof with cockerell weathervane, bracketed string to belfry stage, and broad scalloped cornice. The belfry has round-arched openings with Mansfield stone shafts with scalloped capitals, containing scalloped pierced louvres, with south and west lancet openings with nailhead beneath a continuous hoodmould in second stage. East, west and south roundels in scalloped openings in third stage. First and second stage string courses, the second stage with chevron mouldings.

Coped gables, with finial crosses at west end, nave and chancel east ends and porch. North buttress to west end, west window of two round-arched lights on shafts with scalloped capitals. Sill string with foliated head stops; a continuous hoodmould extends into the string course of the second stage. The shallow but steeply gabled south porch has a round arch with nailhead moulding, on Mansfield stone shafts with stiff-leaf capitals. Impost string and head-stopped hoodmould. Diagonally-set square carved panels in gable. Round-headed double doors, on elaborate wrought-iron hinges, in chamfered opening.

Nave and aisle windows also round-arched, many with nailhead moulding, some with hoodmoulds and sill strings. 3-bay buttressed apse has south window of two round-arched lights on scalloped corbels and central shaft with water-leaf capital. Single round-headed window further to east. Similar treatment to north wall and gabled vestry. The gabled east end has angle shafts with stiff-leaf capitals. Single round- arched east window has Mansfield stone shafts, with stiff-leaf capitals, and hoodmould. Scalloped roundel with monogram above.

Entering through the tower space and looking east, there is an aisle arcade of double-chamfered round arches on cylindrical columns of Mansfield stone with elaborate water-leaf capitals, on high pedestals, with scrolled spurs to high bases. Continuous hoodmould on mask and grotesque stops. The walls are whitewashed.  The nave is fully pewed, good quality pitch pine benches with rounded carved ends and panelled backs. Panelled Dado.

The chancel arch, possibly based on what was there before, is of three orders, the outer two with scalloped capitals, the inner with scallops and volutes. Inner arch has billet mouldings, the outer a painted text; “Whoso eateth My Flesh and drinketh My Blood hath eternal life.” Hoodmould with rosette and ivy leaf stops. Stepped triple-arched opening above. Roof on corbelled curved principals, stone flagged floor.

Within, the apse has a dado of chevron-patterned polychrome (predominantly purple) Minton tiles, and a tesselated floor, partly under blue carpet. The heating pipes run down the nave alley and threaten to trip you at the chancel step.  Choir stalls with carved arcade fronts.  An integral carved and painted stone altar and reredos and fine stained glass provide a dignified focus.