Details
YORK
SE5951SE BISHOPHILL JUNIOR
1112-1/20/35 (North West side)
14/06/54 Church of St Mary Bishophill Junior
I
Parish church. C10 tower, heightened in early C11, repaired,
reroofed and embattled c1411; late C11 nave with mid C12 north
arcade and north aisle; early C13 chancel extended c1300; mid
C14 south aisle and chancel north chapel; nave reroofed C15.
South aisle extended in early C19. 1860 restoration included
construction of south porch and new windows at east end and to
south aisle. Tower restored 1980.
MATERIALS: base of tower of Roman saxa quadrata beneath
irregularly coursed magnesian limestone and gritstone rubble
with herringbone brickwork bands. Remainder of church of
gritstone and squared limestone with some rubble stone and
ashlar dressings. Chancel chapel has hipped slate roof
otherwise roofs on north side are tiled, those on south of
slate.
EXTERIOR: east end gable cross. 2-bay chancel with north
vestry and organ chamber in former chancel chapel; 2-bay nave
and north aisle; 3-bay south aisle; 4-stage west tower.
East end has reconstructed 2-centred window of 3 uncusped
lights with geometrical tracery, in double chamfered surround.
North chapel has two segment-headed windows with trefoiled
ogee heads and vestigial ogee tracery, largely renewed, in
chamfered quoined surround. In south side of chancel is a
round-arched door, with window of paired lancets to east and
two single light windows to west. All openings in restored
quoined and chamfered surrounds.
Nave north aisle has plank door beneath chamfered 4-centred
arch to east. To west of door, square-headed window of 2
trefoiled lights with cusped inverted ogee tracery. Further
west, similar window, decaying, of 3 cusped lancets with
trefoil tracery. South aisle has east end window with
reticulated tracery in double chamfered surround. Gabled porch
has 2-centred doorway of three chamfered orders which die into
chamfered jambs, and corbelled hoodmould: within, the south
door is hollow-chamfered and broach-stopped. Three 2-light
windows with Decorated tracery, to aisle, 2 to east of porch,
one to west.
Tower is quoined and has embattled parapet with pinnacles. On
ground stage, original west door replaced by round-headed
window of paired round-arched lights on centre shaft with roll
necking and cushion capital, in stepped surround beneath
corbelled rolled hoodmould. To south, reconstructed
square-headed window of 2 cusped ogee-arched lights. On second
and third stages, to north and south, are slit lights. Belfry
is set back above string course, and each side has paired
round-arched belfry openings on turned centre shaft with
cushion capital, beneath stripwork arch on pilasters. West
side opening is renewed.
INTERIOR: chancel north arcade of 2 chamfered 2-centred arches
on slim octagonal pier with moulded capital. Chancel arch is
asymmetrical and 2-centred, of 2 chamfered orders, the inner
corbelled, the outer continuous. Nave north arcade is
round-arched, of 2 chamfered orders on cylindrical pier with
hollow chamfered capital and base, and square responds with
imposts chamfered on lower face. At east end, a pointed
"confessional arch". South arcade of 2-centred, roll-moulded
arches, the inner filleted, on cylindrical pier with roll
necking, hollow-chamfered octagonal capital and torus and
chamfered base. East respond is half cylindrical with similar
detailing, but west respond mutilated. Quoined tower arch is
round, of 2 stepped orders beneath hoodmould, on stepped
double imposts on square section responds.
Roofs: 5-bay nave roof panelled with moulded beams with bosses
at intersections. C15 ceiling to tower ground stage, carried
on chamfered beam supported at north end on stone corbelled
arch-braced post.
FITTINGS: medieval font with octagonal bowl with round upper
section, on octagonal stem and C19 base; early C18 scrolled
cover with dove and acorn finial. Hatchment dated 1793.
Reredos and octagonal pulpit with tester of 1889, by Temple
Moore. 4 panels of late C15 glass reset in second south window
of chancel. 2 bells, one C14, the other C15, await re-hanging
at west end of nave. Monuments include a wall tablet in
bolection moulded surround, to Frances Nicholson, d.1721.
(City of York: RCHME: South-west of the Ouse: HMSO: 1972-:
27-30; Bartholomew City Guides: Hutchinson J and Palliser DM:
York: Edinburgh: 1980-: 216).
Listing NGR: SE5999251475
