The Church of Christ the Consoler is a

Victorian Victorian or Victorians may refer to: 19th century * Victorian era, British history during Queen Victoria's 19th-century reign ** Victorian architecture ** Victorian house ** Victorian decorative arts ** Victorian fashion ** Victorian literature ...

Gothic Revival church built in the Early English style by William Burges. It is located in the grounds of

Newby Hall Newby Hall is a country house beside the River Ure in the parish of Skelton-on-Ure in North Yorkshire, England. It is 3 miles south-east of Ripon and 6 miles south of Topcliffe Castle, by which the manor of Newby was originally held. A Grade I ...

at Skelton-on-Ure, in

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by national parks, including most of the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. It is one of four cou ...

, England. Burges was commissioned by George Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon, to build it as a tribute to the Marquess' brother-in-law, Frederick Vyner. The church is a Grade I listed building as of 6 March 1967, and was vested in the Churches Conservation Trust on 14 December 1991.

History

Frederick Vyner was "taken prisoner by Greek brigands in the neighbourhood of Athens April 11th 1870 and murdered by them April 21st." A significant ransom had been demanded, and in part collected, before his murder. Frederick's mother, Lady Mary Vyner determined that the unused funds would be used to construct a memorial church on her Yorkshire estate, his sister, Lady Ripon, embarking on an identical project, building St Mary's Church on her estate at Studley Royal. Burges obtained the commissions for both churches in 1870, perhaps because of the connection between his greatest patron, John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute, and Vyner, who had been friends at Oxford. The construction of the Church of Christ the Consoler began in 1871 and the church was complete by 1876.

Architecture and description

The exterior is constructed of grey Catraig stone, with Morcar stone for the mouldings and is in an Early English style. The interior is faced with white limestone and exceptionally rich, with members of Burges' favourite team, Thomas Nicholls and Lonsdale, contributing. It is particularly interesting as representing an architectural move from Burges' favourite Early French style to an English inspiration. Pevsner describes it thus: "Of determined originality, the impression is one of great opulence, even if of a somewhat elephantine calibre." In 2007, architectural historian James Stevens Curl mentioned the church among five worthwhile buildings where "it is still possible to experience something of the

mastery of colour, detail, and architectural grandeur", along with the

palace of Westminster The Palace of Westminster serves as the meeting place for both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Informally known as the Houses of Parliament, the Palace lies on the north bank ...

Westminster Cathedral Westminster Cathedral is the mother church of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. It is the largest Catholic church in the UK and the seat of the Archbishop of Westminster. The site on which the cathedral stands in the City o ...

, All Saints' Church in Margaret Street and All Saints' Church in Maidenhead. James Stevens Curl, ''Victorian Architecture: Diversity & Invention'', Reading, Spire Books, 2007, .

Notes

References

* * {{Authority control 19th-century Church of England church buildings Church of England church buildings in North Yorkshire Churches completed in 1876 Churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust Anglican Diocese of Leeds Former Church of England church buildings Gothic Revival church buildings in England Gothic Revival architecture in North Yorkshire William Burges church buildings Grade I listed churches in North Yorkshire

History

Architecture and description

See also

Notes

References