Two phases of restoration at Hutton Rudby, All Saints

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

Th Grade I listed church of Hutton Rudby, All Saints is located on Rudby Bank, on the north side of the River Leven close to the 18th century Leven Bridge between the villages of Rudby and Hutton. The earliest surviving church fabric dates to the late-13th to early-14th century, including the chancel that has been much rebuilt (see below). A priest recorded at Rudby in Domesday Book of 1086 AD suggests a much earlier foundation. The parish registers date back to 1584 and other parish records, including terriers, churchwardens’ accounts and vestry minutes survive from the second half of the 18th century onwards [PR/HTR].

Extract of church and churchyard from a map of Rudby estate belonging to the Rt. Hon. Lady (Dowager) Amherst, surveyed by J. Jackson , 1808 [ZNT]

The parish record collection for Hutton Rudby, All Saints contains architectural plans for two phases of church restoration. The earlier of these, in the late-19th century, was designed by Hicks and Charlewood, architects of 42 Grainger Street, Newcastle in 1892 [PR/HTR 6/1]. Thirty years later, a further programme of work was undertaken by Brierley and Rutherford, architects of 13 Lendal, York in December 1922 [PR/HTR 6/6]. An even earlier phase of additions and alterations had previously been carried out at the church in 1867, including works to the vestry to the north and the east window (said to be a copy of the original), although no plans relating to this earliest restoration work survive within the archive.

Hutton Rudby, All Saints and Leven Bridge by Bertram Unné [BU07055A]

Existing survey and proposed restoration drawings, 1892

There are three rolls of plans, on tracing linen, of a survey and proposed restoration of Hutton Rudby church and chancel, drawn by Hicks and Charlewood Architects, Newcastle in 1892 [PR/HTR 6/1-3]. The survey drawings are in monochrome, the proposal drawings use colour to indicate the changes. Existing and proposed plans can be compared below by moving the slider to the left and right to reveal both plans.

*Hutton Rudby, All Saints: Existing ground plan 1892 and proposed restorations [PR/HTR 6/1/1/1 & 6/1/2/1]*

A note written on each of the proposed restoration plans indicates that “The Faculty applied for in the present instance is for the restoration of the chancel only, of which details and a specification are appended.” There are additional drawings of the proposed work to the chancel in the parish record collection, [see below PR/HTR 6/1/3], but no associated written specification or faculty of this date appears to have survived.

*Hutton Rudby, All Saints: Existing sections of nave and chancel 1892 and proposed restorations [PR/HTR 6/1/1/2 & 6/1/2/2]*

*Hutton Rudby, All Saints: Existing north elevation 1892 and proposed restorations [PR/HTR 6/1/1/6 & 6/1/2/5]*

Drawings of the proposed restoration of the chancel, 1892

There are five drawings which show additional details of the proposed restoration of the chancel, including a detail of the design of the marble mosaic pavement floor to the chancel, elevations of the new wooden wall panelling, clergy desk and choir stalls, and a cross-section through the latter. A detail of the chancel roof, and existing and proposed section drawings show how the height of the roof is proposed to be raised with a steeper pitch [PR/HTR 6/1/3/1-5].

Hutton Rudby, All Saints: detail of the design of the marble mosaic pavement floor to the chancel, elevations of the new wooden wall panelling, clergy desk and choir stalls, and a cross-section through the latter, plus detail cross-section of the chancel roof, Hicks & Charlewood,1892 [PR/HTR 6/1/3]

*Hutton Rudby, All Saints: *Plan, sections and elevations for proposed restoration* of chancel: existing survey and as proposed, Hicks & Charlewood,1892 [PR/HTR 6/1/3]*

Proposed restoration of the church, December 1922

In 1921, a survey revealed that the 18th century church roof was failing and needed replacing. A new slate roof was fitted over the nave and a flat roof over the south aisle of the church. The parish record collection includes six plans of the proposed restoration of the church dated December 1922 [PR/HTR 6/6]. These were designed by architects Walter Henry Brierley and his chief assistant James Hervey Rutherford. The pair had become architectural partners a few years earlier under the practice name Brierley and Rutherford in 1918. Walter Brierley was a renowned architect in York, working across Yorkshire for over forty years. Between 1885 and his death in 1926, he designed over 300 buildings, including several churches.

Brierley and Rutherford’s plans for Hutton Rudby, All Saints church were commissioned and approved by Reverend Arthur Eddowes. From material within the parish record collection, we know that the building work was undertaken by Rudd and Son Ltd, who successfully tendered for the work on 16 January 1923 for the sum of £4400. The previous year, on 15 July 1922, Brierley and Rutherford had submitted their bill of £26 12d 6s for preparing plans, noting that their estimate of the total cost of the restoration would be in the order of £6350-£7000. After completion of the works, in May 1924, Brierley and Rutherford submitted itemised costs for their input to the project, which totalled £429 19d 8s (see below).

*Hutton Rudby, All Saints: Proposed restoration ground plan 1892 and proposed restorations 1922 [PR/HTR 6/1/2/1 & 6/6/1]*

*Hutton Rudby, All Saints: Proposed restoration south elevation 1892 and proposed restorations 1922 [PR/HTR 6/1/2/6 & 6/6/5]*

*Hutton Rudby, All Saints: Proposed restoration north elevation 1892 and proposed restorations 1922 [PR/HTR 6/1/2/5 & 6/6/6]*

*Hutton Rudby, All Saints, proposed restoration: west elevation and section, Brierley and Rutherford, December 1922 [PR/HTR 6/6/3]*

In addition to the architectural plans, the parish records also preserve other paperwork, including a related citation and faculty dated October 1923 [PR/HTR 6/7], a tender, bill of quantities and specification for the restoration of roofs etc, dated 1922-1923 [PR/HTR 6/8], and accounts and vouchers relating to the restoration work, 1924 [PR/HTR 6/9].

*Hutton Rudby, All Saints: Brierley & Rutherford’s cost for preparing plans, July 1923 [PR/HTR 6/9]*

Faculty for reroofing the church &c, 23 October 1923 [PR/HTR 6/7]; Rudd & Son Ltd tender of £4400 for restoration of church roofs &c, 16 January 1923 [PR/HTR 6/8] and W Johnstone bill for cleaning and repairing church monuments, 14 July 1924 [PR/HTR 6/9]