St. Andrew's Church / Kildwick / Keighley

The Church of St Andrew is an Anglican parish church in the village of Kildwick, North Yorkshire, England. A church has been in Kildwick since at least 950 AD, though the current structure dates back to the 16th century, but in its oldest parts are c. 12th century. The church was one of only two being recorded in Craven at the time of the Domesday survey, and was historically known as the Lang Kirk of Craven as it is unusually long for a parish church. It has a split graveyard, with a small portion to the north of the Leeds Liverpool Canal, and the larger graveyard to the south of the canal surrounding the church. History There is archaeological evidence to prove that a house of worship existed within the area which is now Kildwick as far back as 950 AD; blocks from the Saxon era were discovered in the walls during the renovations of 1901–1903. By the time of the Domesday Survey, Kildwick is one of only two places in the Deanery of Craven which is noted for having a church. Sometime around the 12th century, the church was given by Cecillia de Romille to the priory at Bolton Abbey, though not long afterwards, Archbishop Thurstan claimed it, and it remained under the minster at York until the Dissolution, when the advowson was given to the college of Christ Church in Oxford. The church building dates back to the 14th century, but the four west bays have 12th century origins. After the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314, the Aire and Wharfe valleys were progressively sacked by Scottish raiders c. 1318, though it is thought that the church was spared being completely destroyed on account of the church's dedication to St. Andrew. Brereton points out that the area of Kildwick (and the wider Craven district) was ravaged in 1317, but history does not record any serious damage to the church. However, the rebuilding of the church took place in 1320, with the tower, parts of the aisles, and the nave, also all being built sometime on the 14th century. It was noted in the 19th century that the eastern side of the tower bore the marks of a roof pitched at a higher level than the one the church then had. At some point during the 16th century during the reign of Henry VIII, the church was lengthened, and it measured 145.5 feet (44.3 m) by 48.5 feet (14.8 m), making it the longest church in the Deanery of Craven, and one of the longest churches in Yorkshire. The church has since acquired the nickname of the Lang church in Craven, due to it being lengthened considerably, but it is unsure as to why the church was lengthened, there being no considerable increase in the population. Additionally, the church floor is entirely on the same level from the base of the tower to the altar. A plan was prepared by an architect in 1881 to amend this at a cost of £685 (equivalent to £87,000 in 2023), but this was never implemented. The south porch was rebuilt in 1873, and both south doorways were amended in 1868 so that the levels of the floor of the church and the doorways were at the same height. The tower, which was renovated in 1860, has two stages, a door in the west side, above which is a Perpendicular style window with three panes (lights). The parapets of the tower are embattled and there is a square turret on the north-east side. Above the tower doorway is a stone carved with a face that dates back to before the Conquest. It is thought to have been found during renovations and used within the tower walls between the doorway and the window above it. The long church is composed of ten bays, six of which belong to the nave, and four to the chancel, with bays 1 to 4 in the nave being of a Decorated architectural nature, whilst many of the piers and arches are Perpendicular in nature. The font is of Norman origin, and until 1825, had a carved oak canopy above it until 1825, when a restoration to the west gallery necessitated its removal. At the west end of the nave is the effigy of Sir Robert Styveton (Sir Robert of Steeton), who was a Knight Templar. The Styveton's were an ennobled family of high military note who lived at Steeton. The effigy is made from stone quarried near Tadcaster (known as Hazlewood Stone), the same used in the walls of York Minster. The church was restored in 1873 by the Lancaster partnership of Paley and Austin. Changes have taken place since then, including extension of the chancel and a further restoration of the nave in 1901–03 by the successors in the Lancaster practice, Austin and Paley, costing £4,200 (equivalent to £570,000 in 2023). These renovations found parts of Anglo-Saxon crosses and their shafts embedded in the 16th century walls. Many of these artefacts are on display in the church. #fyp #drone #bradford #dji #uk #fpvdrone #westyorkshire #england #sky #subscribe #short #travel #trending #whatsappstatus #tiktok #youtubeshorts #subscribe #youtubeislife #youtubeguru #youtubecontent #newvideo #leeds