Holy Trinity Church, Acaster Malbis, is on the eastern side of Acaster Lane just north of the Canon's Court junction. The Latin word for a camp is castra, indicating that the Roman army may have been based here. The village is mentioned in Domesday Book as Acastre. 'Malbis' derives from the Norman Malbysse or De Malebys family, a Norman personal name that in French means 'very swarthy', and this family gained Acastre during the reign of Richard I.
A Norman church was built on this site, probably about 1100. In 1360 the estates of the Malbysse family passed into the hands of the Fairfax family, who pulled the old church down. The replacement they built, the present church, survives largely intact, along with some additions and restoration work from 1886 by C Hodgson. The church was built in Magnesian limestone ashlar with a plain tile roof, wooden bell tower to the west, and a south porch in the church's cruciform ground plan.
Described in Pevsner N, Yorkshire, The West Riding, 1979 pp 69-70 as follows - Church. Early C14 with additions and restorations of 1886 by C Hodgson Fowler including bell tower and spire. Magnesian limestone ashlar with plain tile roof and wooden bell tower. Cruciform on plan with south porch. 3-bay nave with 2-bay chancel and single-bay transepts. Chamfered plinth. Nave: south side, central south porch has pointed arch with chamfered architrave under hood-mould with head stops. Pointed arched entrance with double-chamfered architrave and studded plank door. North side has central blocked opening with pointed, double-chamfered architrave. 3-light, straight-headed windows with reticulated tracery. West end has reticulated 5-light window under depressed segmental arch with quatrefoil above. Transepts, have 3-light windows, those to north and south under depressed pointed arches with trefoils above. Chancel has reticulated 3-light windows with 7-light east window under depressed segmental arch and with elongated sexfoil above. Swept roofs. Crosses at apex. Shingled bell turret has similar 2-light openings and octagonal spire. Interior: medieval tub font on stepped, cylindrical base. Remains of wall painting exposed to north side of nave. Brackets for statues to either side of east window. Ogee-headed piscina. Effigy of a cross-legged knight presumed to represent Sir John Malbys (d1316). Medieval grave slab with foliate cross. Painted wooden plaque of 1687 'Fearr God Honour the King' with lion and unicorn. Painted plaque c1764 recording benefactions of John Knowles. Elaborate continental C17 pulpit with intricate geometrical panelling and figures at the angles.
After entering the Churchyard by the gate opposite to the parking waypoint, please turn left and make your way to the Headstone of Ann, widow of Joseph Mawson (Waypoint 1) shown below and located to the north-west corner of the church-
Died A October BCDE aged FG years
The cache can be found at the following coordinates -
N53 54.(B+G)(A-G)(C-F)
W001 06.(F-E-A)(E-G)(C-E+A)
The cache is a short distance from the church due to proximity issues, but can be accessed by foot or car. Please take care when leaving the churchyard and make sure to look both ways as this country road can be busy at times.
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For full information on how you can expand the Church Micro series by sadexploration please read the Place your own Church Micro page before you contact him.
See also the Church Micro Statistics and Home pages for further information about the series.
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