MIDDLETON ON THE WOLDS HERITAGE

ST ANDREW’S CHURCH

Construction

St. Andrew’s Church, dating back to the early 13th century, features original chancel and nave arcades from this period. The church underwent significant rebuilding in 1873 by S.M. Teale, who incorporated old masonry into the new structure. Constructed from ashlar with slate roofs, the church boasts a west tower, a four-bay aisled nave with a south porch, and a four-bay chancel.

The west tower, with its three stages, includes angle buttresses to the lower stages and pilaster buttresses with nook shafts to the belfry. It also features a pyramidal roof with a cross finial. Inside, the church has 13th-century north and south arcades with round piers and pointed double-chamfered arches. The chancel includes three sedilia with pointed chamfered heads on detached shafts.

The church houses a 12th-century tub font with a palm design and intersecting round arcading, resting on attached colonettes with nail-head capitals. Additionally, a Bronze Age beaker, discovered locally, is preserved in a special niche in the north respond of the chancel arch.

Sources unknown, Dates unknown

A Villagers memory

Another prize winning entry from Mrs H Atkinson, starts with a beautiful description of our church, which dates back to around 1280, with the nave completed in 1360. Our striking tower was added in 1830, with a substantial restoration in 1873. It was the restored church that is being described here.

Source Middleton on the Wolds St Andrews Parish Records | The National Archives

“One of the most charming villages in the East Riding of Yorkshire is Middleton-on-the-Wolds, with the lovely old church standing sentinel on the hill, like a mother brooding over her chicks, the clock face seeming to look understandingly around on all who dwell there.

Source unknown, Date 1960

Honoring the Past

St. Andrew’s Church features a traditional graveyard within its grounds, providing a serene resting place for many generations of parishioners. Additionally, the church has a cemetery located on Beverley Road, which is jointly owned with the Parish Council. This cemetery serves the broader community and offers a peaceful environment for reflection and remembrance.

Inside the church, there is a poignant memorial display dedicated to those who lost their lives in both World War One (1914-1918) and World War Two (1939-1945). The display includes British Legion flags, which bear the inscription: “BRITISH LEGION IN MEMORY OF THE FALLEN 1914-1918 1939-1945”. This memorial stands as a solemn tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of the men and women who served their country during these tumultuous times.