Fimber is a small village of a few houses arranged round the duck pond, in the Yorkshire Wolds. The tiny church set on high ground above village with steps leading up into churchyard and a yew lined path to church.
This has been a sacred site for over 3000 years with a church here since Norman Conquest. This is third church on the site, replacing a medieval chapel of ease. Construction began 1858 and the foundation stone laid by Sir Tatton Sykes of Sledmere house. He employed the architect GE Street who designed a Gothic Revival style church. Work finished in 1871, costing Sykes £7000.
It is an attractive church with a with small square west tower with rather ornate blank arcading round the bell windows and a pyramid top. It has a simple buttresses nave and chancel with a tall pointed roof and a south porch. Inside is a big wooden door with large metal hinges leading into the church. The pointed arch over the door has small carvings of leaves at the base.
At the back of the church are several large display boards with some history of Fimber and information about the pioneering archaeologist, who was responsible for excavating many of the bronze age burial mounds in the neighbourhood.
Inside it is a small church with no side aisles. The supporting struts on the wood beam roof of the nave have circular painted motifs and painted beading around the base. The panels of the chancel roof are painted red and blue with stars.
The C19th octagonal font is at the back of nave and there is a stone open carved pulpit.
Below the tall pointed chancel arch is a low stone screen with carvings of quatrefoils. Above is an ornate brass screen with gates into chancel. The top of the tracery is painted in deep maroon and brown. Above the door is a cross and there are candlesticks along top.
Very small steps lead up to the high altar which has a carved marble and alabaster reredos behind with carvings of leaves and flowers round the central cross. On either side is a blind arcade of crocketted ogee arches. There are two small carved choir stalls.
On north wall is a wooden board with a painting of St George with the list of names of the dead from the 14-18 war.
C19th stained glass windows by Clayton and Bell. Those on the north wall tell the stories of the miracles of Christ as recorded in St John’s Gospel. On the south wall are the parables as told in Matthew. The east window has the Passion, Resurrection and Ascension.
The church is always open and the entrance is off Church Lane. This is a narrow, one way street with no where to park. We pulled off at the junction of Church Lane with Burdall Lane, under a large horse chestnut tree. There may be some parking in the Village Hall opposite.
There are more pictures “here.”:http://wasleys.org.uk/eleanor/churches/england/yorkshire/east_riding/east_one/fimber/index.html
