St John's Church, Bellerby Explained

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

The first reference to a church in Bellerby is from the 15th century, and in 1474 it was the subject of a papal bull establishing the funding of a resident priest, who would say mass.[1] It long served as a chapel-of-ease to St Michael's Church, Spennithorne. It was rebuilt in 1801, and again in 1874.[2] In 1847, it was licensed for baptisms, marriages and burials. In 1967, the church was Grade II listed. The church was re-roofed and redecorated in 2005, with a carpet fitted the following year. The church bell was removed in 2017 as it was unsafe, but was rehung in 2021.[3] [4]

The church is built of stone with a Welsh slate roof. It consists of a three-bay nave with a south porch, a two-bay chancel with a north vestry, and a southwest steeple. The steeple is octagonal with string courses, louvred openings, and an octagonal spire. The porch is gabled and has buttresses, and a pointed doorway with a chamfered surround.[5]

See also

References

54.3302°N -1.8239°W

Notes and References

  1. Book: Müller . Miriam . The Routledge Handbook of Medieval Rural Life . 2021 . Routledge . 9781000450736.
  2. Book: A History of the County of York North Riding: Volume 1 . 1914 . Victoria County History . London . 13 April 2024.
  3. News: Vicar set a £15,000 target in mission to restore church roof . 13 April 2024 . Northern Echo . 23 January 2002.
  4. Web site: St John's, Bellerby . A Church Near You . 13 April 2024.
  5. Book: Grenville. Jane. Pevsner . Nikolaus . Nikolaus Pevsner . The Buildings of England. Yorkshire: The North Riding. . 2023 . 1966 . New Haven and London . 978-0-300-25903-2 .