Slingsby is an attractive stone village just off the B1257 with daffodils growing along the grass verges. The village is overlooked by the ruins of Slingsby Castle, a Jacobean manor house built around 1640 for Sir Charles Cavendish, the grandson of Bess of Hardwick.
The church is at the end of the village and reached down a path of heavily pruned yew trees. It has a large square buttresses tower with carved battlements and crocketed pinnacles at the corners. There is a long low nave with clerestory, side aisles and chancel. The south porch has a statue of Christ in a niche with pinnacles and angels holding scrolls.
There has been a church here since 1157, but little survives of this church except two Norman pillars . The church was in a ruinous condition in the 19thC and underwent a major rebuild which fortunately kept the original size and style of the original church.
It is a nice church inside with a clock ticking away. The clear glass windows of the clerestory flood the church with light. This feeling of light is further emphasised by the minimalist bench pews.
Round arches with low pointed arches lead into the side aisles. These have small carved heads at the base of the arch.
At the back of the nave is the font with dark marble pillars round the base and carved arches on the bowl.
The pulpit is unusual as it has open carved sides.
The panelled ceiling with support beams dates from the 1960s. Panels are painted red in the nave and blue in the side aisles and nave with red, black and white ribs.
Hanging in the nave is a beautiful corona which came from Sledmere House.
At the end of the north aisle is a Victorian wheeled bier. The top was detachable and it has brass rails along the sides to stop the coffin falling off.
The pointed chancel arch is supported by dark marble pillars with small carved capitals.
The chancel feel heavier than the nave with more elaborate choir stalls with carved ends including a monk reading a book and a king.
Along the bottom of the east wall are panels of marble with five painted shields above. The glass in the east window is in memory of the 6th EArl of CArlisle and has mages of the twelve apostles along the top with Mary and the baby Jesus below with Old Testament prophets.
In the Lady Chapel to south, is the remains of a 13thC effigy of a knight and shield. According to local tradition he was a crusader who went with Prince Edward on the 9th and final Crusade. The tale also says that he fought and killed a great Serpent that preyed on travellers along the road to Malton.
This is a typical village church. It is a nice church but there is nothing really special to attract people to stop. Visit if passing, but it doesn’t merit a special journey. There is parking on the road outside.
To locate A;; Saints’ Church in Slingsby, North Yorkshie, use the post code YO62 4AD. The grid refrence is SE697750.
There are pictures “here.”:http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/churches/england/yorkshire/north_yorkshire/north_yorkshire_three/slingsby/index.html
