St Mary's Church, Birdsall

St Mary's Church is the parish church of Birdsall, North Yorkshire, a village in England.

St Mary's Church was first recorded in 1130. By the early 19th century, it was in poor repair.^[1] In 1824, it was demolished and rebuilt for Henry Willoughby, 6th Baron Middleton, to a design by James Pigott Pritchett and Charles Watson. Between 1879 and 1881, C. Hodgson Fowler added a chancel and an additional stage to the tower. The church was Grade II listed in 1966.^[2]

The Gothic revival church is built of limestone. It consists of a three-bay nave, with a boiler house to the north, a two-bay chancel with an organ chamber to the north, and a west tower. The tower has three stages, diagonal stepped buttresses, a semi-octagonal stair turret to the north, string courses, and an openwork parapet with octagonal corner turrets and finials. On the lowest stage is a window with a pointed head on the west side, and on the south side is a doorway with a pointed head, a hood mould with crockets, and a bas-relief with two figures and a coat of arms. In the middle stage are lancet windows, and above, the bell openings have three lights. Along the nave are pierced parapets. The east window has a five-light window, and below it is a door providing access to the crypt.^[2]

Inside the church are numerous memorials, including a 14th century recumbent figure of a woman, two black marble monuments from the late 17th century, a plaque to Thomas Southeby, designed by John Michael Rysbrack, and a white marble model of a kneeling woman, designed by Richard Westmacott.^[2] John Betjeman described the church as having "good modern glass".^[3]

References

^ "Parish records of Birdsall". Archives Hub. Jisc. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c Historic England. "Church of Saint Mary (1149110)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
^ Betjemen, John (1958). An American's Guide to English Parish Churches. McDowell. ISBN 9780839210047.