Church of St James, Main Street, Grewelthorpe, Kirkby Malzeard

CHURCH OF ST. JAMES, GREWELTHORPE, YORKSHIRE - This little village-church, situated on the confines of the West and North Ridings, close to the famous valley of Hackfall, manifests a very decided desire to imitate ancient forms. The plan consists of a chancel, sacristy at the south side of it at right angles to the church, nave, with north aisle, and south porch. The style transitional from First to Middle-pointed. The west window is of two lights, the east of three; the windows in the chancel, one on each side, and the most easterly on the south of the nave, are couplets; the rest single, all with trefoiled heads. The chancel is divided from the nave by a light screen, of not however very satisfactory design, and is furnished with a priest's door: there are neither altar chairs, nor sedilia; there is, however, a light sacrarium-rail. These arrangements are, however, sadly counterbalanced by the prayer desk looking due west, and the font (which has a cover and drain) standing at the east end of the nave. No special presentation has, however, yet been made to the church, which at present rejoices in only one service a week: so we trust that these arrangements may be temporary. In the meanwhile, however, the church has been enriched with two stoves, the one in the centre of the chancel, the other at the west end of the nave, nearly (not quite) where the font should be, both with straight iron chimneys piercing the roof. The pulpit is correctly placed on the north side, west of the chancel-arch; and all the seats are open, and face east. The aisle is separated from the nave by an arcade of four arches. resting on very short pillars. The position of the sacristy prevents there being an east window to the aisle; there is a bell gable. The pitch of the nave and chancel roofs is very acute; the aisle roof being a lean-to, with no clerestory space. walls over the west wall of the chancel-arch. There is a great deal of stained glass, by Mr. Forrest of Liverpool. Three corona lucis are arranged for gas. [Ecclesiologist Volume 8 1848 page 112-113]

We are glad to be informed by Mr. A. H. Cates, architect, of York, one of our own members, that the situation of the font and reading-desk in S. James, Grewelthorpe, (to which we objected in our last number), is due, not to him as the architect, but entirely to the builders of the church. [Ecclesiologist Vol 8 1848 page 200]

Reference    Yorkshire Gazette 17 October 1846 page 8
Reference    Ecclesiologist Volume 8 1848 page 112-113
Reference    Ecclesiologist Volume 8 1848 page 200