St Mary's Church, South Cowton

St Mary's Church, South Cowton
St Mary's Church, South Cowton, from the south
St Mary's Church, South Cowton Location in North Yorkshire
Coordinates: 54°25′07″N 1°32′59″W / 54.4186°N 1.5497°W / 54.4186; -1.5497
OS grid reference	NZ 293 026
Location	South Cowton, North Yorkshire
Country	England
Denomination	Anglican
Website	Churches Conservation Trust
Architecture
Functional status	Redundant
Heritage designation	Grade I
Designated	31 March 1970
Architectural type	Church
Style	Gothic
Groundbreaking	1450
Completed	1470
Specifications
Materials	Sandstone, lead roof

St Mary's Church, South Cowton, is a redundant Anglican church standing in open countryside in the former village of South Cowton, near Scotch Corner in North Yorkshire, England (grid reference NZ293026). It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building,^[1] and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.^[2]

History

The church was built between 1450 and 1470 by Sir Richard Conyers, who also built South Cowton Castle to the south of the church.^[2] The village of South Cowton was destroyed by Sir Richard and its land cleared for agricultural use.^[3] The church was restored in 1883.^[4] St Mary's was vested in the Trust on 1 April 1988.^[5]

Architecture

Structure

St Mary's is constructed in rubble and sandstone ashlar, with a lead roof. Its plan consists of a three-bay nave with a two-storey south porch, a three-bay chancel with a northeast vestry, and a west tower. The tower is in Perpendicular style. It has a two-light, ogee-arched bell opening on each side, an embattled parapet with pinnacles, and a stair turret on the southeast corner. On the south wall of the nave are three windows, two with three lights and the middle one with two lights. In the central bay of the south wall of the chancel is a doorway over which are two panels bearing the arms of the Conyers and the Boynton families. On each side of the doorway, at a higher level, is a two-light window. Internally there is a low-pitched tie-beam roof.^[1]

Fittings and furniture

The font is octagonal and dates from the 15th century. On the chancel arch is a painting, also from the 15th century, and from the same period are the choirstalls, the rood screen and alabaster effigies of Sir Christopher Boynton and his two wives.^[1] The porch has a barrel roof, over which is a room for the priest. On one of the choirstalls is a "two-faced" carving.^[2] The ring consists of three bells, one dated 1700 cast by Samuel I Smith, one by Edward I Seller cast in 1712, and the third by John Warner & Sons, dating from 1883.^[6]

See also

• Grade I listed buildings in North Yorkshire
• List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in Northern England

References

1. ^ ^{a b c} "Church of St Mary, South Cowton", Heritage Gateway website (Heritage Gateway (English Heritage, Institute of Historic Building Conservation and ALGAO:England)), 2006, http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=332075&resourceID=5, retrieved 30 August 2010 
2. ^ ^{a b c} St Mary's Church, South Cowton, North Yorkshire, Churches Conservation Trust, http://www.visitchurches.org.uk/Ourchurches/Completelistofchurches/St-Marys-Church-South-Cowton-North-Yorkshire/, retrieved 28 March 2011 
3. ^ South Cowton, St Mary's Church, Britain Express, http://www.britainexpress.com/attractions.htm?attraction=4234, retrieved 30 August 2010 
4. ^ South Cowton: Geographical and Historical information from the year 1890, GENUKI, http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/eng/YKS/NRY/Southcowton/Southcowton90.html, retrieved 30 August 2010 
5. ^ (PDF) Diocese of Ripon and Leeds: All Schemes, Church Commissioners/Statistics, Church of England, 2010, p. 5, http://www.churchofengland.org/media/56475/riponandleeds.pdf, retrieved 3 April 2011 
6. ^ South Cowton, S Mary, Dove's Guide for Church Bell Ringers, http://dove.cccbr.org.uk/detail.php?searchString=cowton&Submit=+Go+&DoveID=SOUTH+COWT, retrieved 30 August 2010