Church of All Saints
A small, one-storey church without tower, and graves in front
The church and graveyard
54°29′23″N 1°08′35″W / 54.4897°N 1.1430°W / 54.4897; -1.1430
OS grid referenceHZ556108
LocationGreat Ayton, North Yorkshire
CountryEngland
DenominationChurch of England
WebsiteOfficial webpage
Architecture
Functional statusRedundant
Years builtc. 1175–1200
Closed1877
Listed Building – Grade I
Designated23 June 1966
Reference no.1150650

The Church of All Saints is a grade I listed building and former parish church for Great Ayton, North Yorkshire, England. The churchyard is known to contain several graves to family members of Captain Cook, a noted seafarer.

All Saints was replaced as the main parish church in the 1870s by the Church of Christ. The entire western end of the church, including its tower, was removed in 1880. All Saints is still open for people to be able to visit at certain times of the year.

History

Elements of the present church of All Saints date back to the 8th century, and a church in Great Ayton (Atun), was mentioned in the Domesday survey of 1086.[1] In the early part of the 12th century, Robert de Meynell is recorded as having given the church at Great Ayton to Whitby Abbey.[2] The structure of the present church dates back to sometime after 1175, being recorded as being built "in the last quarter of the 12th century". The chancel measures 19 feet (5.8 m) by 14 feet 6 inches (4.42 m), the nave 32 feet 6 inches (9.91 m) by 18 feet 10 inches (5.74 m), and a south porch 9 feet 10 inches (3 m) by 11 feet 4 inches (3.45 m).[3] The porch is believed to be a 13th-century addition to the old Norman doorway into the church.[4] Renovations in the late 18th century (1788–1789) saw the roof stripped of its lead to pay for the tower to be rebuilt,[5] only for it, and the a large western section of the church, to be pulled down in 1880.[6] At the same time, despite the church not being publicly used, some of the windows were replaced in the church.[7]

All Saints was replaced by a newer church, closer to the main road through Great Ayton in 1876.[8] The building of Christ Church was precipitated by the state of the All Saints structure, and the increase in the population, related to the boom in ironstone mining in the area.[9] However, the graveyard was still used routinely until 1881, before a new one was opened on the north side of the village.[4] Some burials continued at All Saints; a report from November 1886 recalls the burial there of a Dr William Augustus Loy.[10]

The church was grade I listed in 1966, notable being its Georgian pulpit, Tudor windows and late-Medieval king post roof.[11] In modern times, the church is open for visits, special events, midweek Communion and celebratory services on Captain Cook's birthday.[12] The church does not have any heating, or electric lighting. Candles are used to provide light.[13]

Clergy

Vicars of the Church of All Saints, Great Ayton[14][15]
Year Incumbent Year Incumbent Year Incumbent
c. 1300 Ralph (the Deacon of Ayton) 1662 Cornelius Cockburne 1727 Ralph Jackson
1577 Richard Stonley♦ 1679 Richard Slinger† 1747 George Metcalfe
1601 Thomas Aldus† 1681 William Stephenson† 1756 Anthony Hastwell
1631 Thomas Hardye 1705 George Spencer 1794 Thomas Deason
1639 Thomas Kennington 1707 Maurice Lisle† 1795 William Deason
1646 Thomas Edwards† 1715 Peter Moon 1827 Joseph Ibbetson
1661 George Eubanke 1719 Thomas Morley
  • †Died in office
  • ♦Interregnum between incumbent and previous when dates are incorrect, period appears too long or records are incomplete.

After 1877, All Saints was closed, and Christ Church in the village was used instead.[15]

Churchyard

Several members of Captain Cook's family are buried in the churchyard.[16][17] Their burial plot is marked by a grade II listed headstone made from sandstone.[18] Cook's father, also called James, is believed to have carved many of the Cook family headstones in the churchyard.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "[Great] Ayton | Domesday Book". opendomesday.org. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  2. 1 2 Kaye 1899, p. vii.
  3. ↑ "Parishes: Great Ayton | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  4. 1 2 Arkell & Taylor 2012, p. 1.
  5. ↑ "The Parishes of Great Ayton & Newton under Roseberry". christchurchgreatayton.org.uk. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  6. ↑ Pevsner, Nikolaus, Sir (2002). Yorkshire, the North Riding. New Haven: Yale University Press. p. 172. ISBN 0-300-09665-8.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  7. ↑ Arkell & Taylor 2012, p. 3.
  8. ↑ Historic England. "Christ Church (Grade II) (1150639)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  9. ↑ Flanagan, Emily (1 September 2018). "History group discovers Cornish roots of North Yorkshire village". infoweb.newsbank.com. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  10. ↑ "North Country News". North Eastern Daily Gazette. Column D. 16 November 1886. p. 3.
  11. ↑ Historic England. "Church of All saints, Great Ayton (Grade I) (1150650)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  12. ↑ Arkell & Taylor 2012, p. 5.
  13. ↑ "£3, 300 electricity bill for church with one socket". infoweb.newsbank.com. 26 September 2003. Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  14. ↑ Kaye 1899, pp. 159–160.
  15. 1 2 "Genuki: Great Ayton, Vicars transcription, Yorkshire (North Riding)". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 30 June 2021.
  16. ↑ Howse, Geoffrey (2010). The little book of Yorkshire. Stroud: History Press. p. 110. ISBN 0752462679.
  17. ↑ Chapman, Hannah (4 June 2021). "Fears for historic village sites as plans for 30 homes submitted". Darlington and Stockton Times. Retrieved 4 June 2021.
  18. ↑ Historic England. "Cook headstone 2 yards east of Church of All Saints (Grade II) (1294441)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 4 June 2021.

Sources

  • Arkell, Roger; Taylor, David (March 2012). All Saints Church (PDF). greatayton.wdfiles.com (Report). Retrieved 16 August 2021.
  • Kaye, Walter J, ed. (1899). "The parish register of Great Ayton (1600–182)". The Publications of the Yorkshire Parish Register Society. Leeds: Yorkshire Archaeological Society. Parish Register Section (XC). OCLC 1639081.
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