St. John's Church, Kirby Wiske

Image: © Matthew Hatton Taken: 12 Jul 2020

Having a well-earned rest in the sunshine. The history of the church begins in the 12th century, when it consisted of a nave and a chancel. Very little of this church is now left, the most important parts being a small piece of the original south wall, now at the west end of the south nave arcade, the fine south doorway, which belongs to about 1160, and some grotesque head corbels now used to support the south aisle roof over the arcade. Three more of these heads are built into the wall of the heating chamber and others are lying loose with other fragments, including the heads of two 12th century windows, in the churchyard. About 1310 the church was enlarged by the addition of the aisles. That on the south is of its original width, but its upper walling has been rebuilt, except that at the west end, which contains its original window. The present tower was built in the 15th century, when an almost flat roof was placed over the nave, the line of which still shows over the tower arch, and the vestry added, the windows being later insertions. In 1872 the north and south aisle walls were rebuilt, together with the upper part of the east chancel wall, including the window and the buttresses at the angles. The pillars of the nave were underpinned, the chancel arch raised 6 ft. and the north and south walls of the chancel and the nave roof were also raised. A south porch was added c.1890. The top of the tower has an embattled parapet resting on a projecting cornice, and angle buttresses, two of which rest on small squinch arches where the nave and east tower walls abut. The top stage contains on each side a 15th-century window of two trefoiled lights in a three-centred head. The tower contains three bells, the treble bearing the inscription in Roman characters 'Jesus be our speed,' 1656. The second was cast by Dalton of York, 1784, and is inscribed 'Glory be to God in the highest, Halleluiah.' The tenor is by Thomas Mears, 1802. In 1182 Henry II confirmed the grant of William de Kirkby Wiske of this church to the Prior of Guisborough, who in February 1211–12 quitclaimed the advowson to Roger Lascelles; from this time the advowson followed the descent of the manor.

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