All Saints Brandsby has received a grant of £33,000 from the Lottery Heritage Fund towards the repair and reconstruction of its distinctive cupola, designed by the architect Thomas Atkinson and built by his mason Richard Scurr.
The restoration of the cupola has been undertaken by Crighton Conservation of Northallerton under the watchful eye of church architect Linda Lockett. The pupils of Crayke Church of England Primary School have taken a keen interest in the project and helped produce a time capsule which is now placed in the bell chamber below the cupola. The time capsule is sealed and with a note saying Not to Be Opened until November 2065, and it contains information about village and school life in 2015 along with recordings of a number of the pupils explaining what they hope to be doing 50 years from now.
Thomas Atkinson (1729 – 1795) was a distinguished architect with a practice at 20 St. Andrewgate in York, a house he himself built and which is still to be found there. Atkinson also designed the Bar Convent Chapel in York, remodelled the facade of Bishopthorpe Palace and is thought to have built Sutton Park, so he was no mean craftsman.
The church was built in the 18th century when Lord Francis Cholmeley who owned Brandsby Hall at the time and much of the surrounding land, took the extraordinary decision to demolish the existing medieval church which was located alongside the Hall and to build a new church on its present site, a process that also required the re-location of the village cemetery. Francis Cholmeley was a Catholic and as Brandsby Hall had its own chapel the move may have been a case of removing Protestant activity from his doorstep or maybe he just wanted the local villagers, most of whom worked for the estate, moved out of sight. The latter is probably more likely, as at the time not only was the church next to the Hall but the village itself surrounded it to the North and East and those cottages close to the Hall were also demolished and new ones built further away.
Whilst it wasn't unusual in those days for the 'Lord of the Manor' to demolish houses and relocate villagers, records indicate that the process of demolishing the old church and moving the graveyard was sufficiently contentious for a clause to be incorporated in the faculty or licence to undertake the work to specifically prohibit any person from 'molesting or distracting' those responsible for the project. In the nicest way possible that suggests that a number of the locals might have been prepared to resort to a little GBH or sabotage to register their disapproval. The whole exercise was undertaken at considerable expense and was part funded at least by cutting down large amounts of timber on the estate. The current building was eventually completed in 1770 resulting in an unusual Georgian design that has more in common with a London Wren church than with typical village churches in North Yorkshire. Apart from its unique cupola outside, the inside of the church contains 4 prominent columns to support the structure above, which results in an unusual and elegant interior.
Giles Scott, chairman of the Brandsby Cupola Committee said 'We're delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us this grant, which has ensured the preservation of this historically important church both as a hub of community activity and religious services into the future'.
Using money raised through the National Lottery, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) aims to make a lasting difference for heritage, people and communities across the UK and help build a resilient heritage economy. From museums, parks and historic places to archaeology, natural environment and cultural traditions, we invest in every part of our diverse heritage. HLF has supported almost 35,000 projects with more than £5.3bnb across the UK. www.hlf.org.uk
Pictured: the Revd Liz Hassall, vicar of All Saints Brandsby climbing the scaffolding, and pupils from Crayke Church of England Primary School.
