Bedale, St Gregory

Treasures from the Parish Chest: exploring North Yorkshire’s church history from archives to architecture

One of North Yorkshire’s finest late-Gothic churches, notable for its Medieval monuments and George and the Dragon wall painting

A prominent local landmark full of exceptional furnishings, the site on which St Gregory’s stands has been a place of religious importance for almost 1000 years. A church was recorded at Bedale in the Domesday Book of 1086, though the oldest surviving fabric is the late-12^th century nave.

The church is architecturally unusual for the region. The mighty 14^th century tower is largely built in the Decorated Gothic style and was also designed for protection. With the area at risk of Scottish raiders, the tower was fortified, with a portcullis once guarding the door to a dwelling up the stairway.

*North arcade built in the early 13^th century*

During the 13^th century, the church enjoyed the patronage of the FitzAlan family. Sir Brian FitzAlan (d.1306) built the south aisle in around 1290 as a chantry chapel for his family. The monuments to FitzAlan and his first wife Muriel now stand at the back of the church, and are some of the finest of their kind in the country.

The east window of the south aisle is a bit of mystery! It may have come from Jervaulx Abbey, or it might have been part of the original FitzAlan chantry chapel and designed to hold glass displaying the family’s coat of arms

Like many churches, St Gregory’s went through significant restoration during the 19^th century. Thanks to a wonderful source held at the Record Office, we know that the removal of the medieval stained glass was controversial.

Hird’s Annals, which were written c.1808-1841, are the notebooks and diaries of Robert Hird, a local shoemaker who recorded the history and daily life of Bedale [ZBA 27/1/19]. Hird described the removal of the church’s old glass and was not impressed by what he saw:

“The old window was taken out by Thomas Simpson, plumber and glazier, Bedale. And the beautiful stained glass, which constituted the coat of arms, was not put up again. Near the same time, the north east window was removed by Thomas James, Bedale… James’s work is a scandal to the church, whilst that of Simpson is an ornament and who is to blame but those who put interested men into office, who to get their own, will employ any bungler!!!“

*Hird’s Annals, c.1808-1841, record the removal of all the medieval stained glass in the church in the early-19^th century [ZBA 27/1/19]*

The church was extensively restored by architect G. Fowler Jones between 1854-1857. He completely rebuilt the north arcade faithfully to the original medieval design. The 14th century wall paintings of St George, and the Angel of Annunciation on the chancel wall were restored in 1931.

All photographs of Bedale, St Gregory © Sophie Cawthorne