For those interested in church architecture or, more particularly, church architects this church is one of several in the area designed or restored by Temple Lushington Moore (1856–1920) who was one of Victorian England's greatest church architects. In a career spanning five decades, he built more than forty churches.
The Temple Moore Trail gives lovers of architecture and beautiful countryside the chance to get to know Moore and the Moors. There are more than 20 Temple Moore buildings in the Trail, all in or near the North York Moors.
[N.B. This church is not actually on the Temple Moor Trail as it was one of his restorations.]
The church is not normally open during the week but keys are available from Gill Eldridge 01609 883584 or Di Renwick 01609 775245.
HISTORY
The church of ST. LAWRENCE consists of a chancel about 37 ft. 4 in. by 15 ft. 6 in., a nave 44 ft. 9 in. by 18 ft. 4 in., a north aisle 45 ft. 9 in. by 13 ft., a west tower and a south porch. These measurements are all internal.
The church originally consisted of a simple chancel and nave built in the 12th century. About 1200 the north aisle was added and the chancel extended eastwards. A chantry chapel was built on the north side of the chancel in 1343, but it has since been demolished and the arches between it and the chancel and north aisle built up. Both the tower and porch are modern additions. In 1893 the building was thoroughly restored under the supervision of Mr. Temple Moore.
The present east window is of three cinquefoiled lights with vertical tracery under a pointed head having an external label. It was inserted in the 15th century, the extended chancel having previously been lighted from the east by three lancets, the two outer of which can still be seen externally. They had doublechamfered hood moulds, one being indented in a similar manner to the label over the nave arcade. On each side of the window is a 15th-century image bracket. In the north wall is the blocked arcade of two bays which formerly communicated with the Sigston chantry. The arches are pointed and have an internal label terminating on carved stops, and are carried on an octagonal pier and semi-octagonal responds having carved capitals and moulded bases. In the south wall is a two-light window, with modern jambs and an old head, to the west of which are two 13th-century lancets. Under the westernmost, the head of which has been made slightly ogee at some later date, can be seen externally the jambs of a priest's doorway, while to the east is a blocked up 12th-century light, in front of which has been built a modern buttress. To the east of this is a second built-up 12th-century light with its semicircular head in one stone, incised with a kind of net enrichment, above which is a cheveron ornament. Between the two easternmost windows is a third, also blocked, and in the east end of the wall is a rude piscina with the head cut into three small semicircular arches. The chancel arch is semicircular with plain square-edged arch and jambs.
The nave arcade is of four bays with semicircular arches of two orders, carried on three circular piers having simple carved capitals and moulded bases, and carved respond corbels. The westernmost bay is narrower than the others. In the south wall are two modern windows with three-centred heads, to the west of which are a square-headed doorway and a lancet. In the west wall a modern pointed doorway opens into the tower, and above it is a 12th-century window.
The north aisle is lighted from the north by two modern three-light windows and from the west by a 14th-century one of two trefoiled lights with a quatrefoil under a pointed head. In the south end of the east wall is the blocked up pointed archway which originally opened into the Sigston chantry, while at the west end of the north wall there is a modern doorway.
The modern tower is in three stages, and has an embattled parapet and plain square-headed bellchamber windows. The west gable of the nave originally had a bell-turret and was divided by a central buttress through which a small light was pierced; this and the clasping angle buttresses still remain.
The lower courses of the chancel walling are of wide coursed regular rubble, while the upper portion is 14th-century work, including on the south side a parapet with two grotesque gargoyles, and the remains of the eastern gable cross. The north aisle is of irregular coursed rubble, and at the east end is a blocked original light above the arch which formerly communicated between the aisle and chantry.
The font consists of an octagonal bowl on a round shaft and base, and bears the initials E C, T, C, 1662.
There is in the north aisle a recumbent effigy of a lady dressed in a long gown and mantle with tightfitting sleeves ornamented with beadwork, large headdress, widow's veil and wimple over the chin, dating from c. 1330. There are several 13th-century incised slabs and part of the head of a Saxon cross ornamented with knot work; there is also a fragment bearing two shields, one of which is charged with a cross with two crescents in chief and the other with a cross paty.
The tower contains two bells.
The communion plate consists of a cup with the London date letter for 1570 and cover with the York letter for 1635, a paten of about 1805 presented in 1875 by Thomas Atkinson, rector, a flagon of 1878, a pewter flagon and two pewter plates.
The registers begin in 1574.
'Parishes: Kirkby Sigston', A History of the County of York North Riding: Volume 1 (1914), pp. 405-409.
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