Holy Cross Church is a

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

which serves the village and

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest, often termed a parish priest, who might be assisted by one o ...

Gilling East Gilling East is a village and civil parish in the Ryedale district of North Yorkshire, England, on the main B1363 road between York and Helmsley, south of Oswaldkirk and south of Helmsley. It is named "East" to distinguish it from Gilling We ...

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...

, England. The parish contains the villages of Gilling, Cawton, and Grimston. The church is dedicated to the Holy Cross, although it has been referred to as either the church of Saint Mary or the church of Saint Helena (the queen who by legend discovered the true cross) in the past. It is part of a four-church benefice which includes Gilling, Oswaldkirk, Stonegrave, and Ampleforth under a single vicar, Rev James Trowsdale. The church was designated as a Grade I

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

on 4 January 1955.

History

The arcade dates from around the year 1200. The chancel was added early in the 14th century, and the southern arcade was added slightly later. The tower was a later addition, dating from the late 15th century.Church – Tower and Bells
retrieved 15 June 2012 There are currently three bells in the tower, which are inscribed with the years of their installation, 1664, 1701 and 1773 AD. They, and the clock which faces east halfway up the tower, are accessible by means of a spiral staircase which leads up the centre of the tower. At the western end of the church, there is the tomb of Sir Thomas Fairfax, a local landlord, who died in 1828. There was some restoration during the Victorian era, which included the addition of the current organ chamber, which was installed in 1883. The east window, with reticulated

tracery Tracery is an architectural device by which windows (or screens, panels, and vaults) are divided into sections of various proportions by stone ''bars'' or ''ribs'' of moulding. Most commonly, it refers to the stonework elements that support the ...

, was also installed in the 19th century. The current clock was installed in 1908:

Prince Ranjitsinhji Colonel H. H. Shri Sir Ranjitsinhji Vibhaji II, Jam Saheb of Nawanagar, (10 September 1872 – 2 April 1933), often known as Ranji or K. S. Ranjitsinhji, was the ruler of the Indian princely state of Nawanagar from 1907 to 1933, as Mah ...

, who often played cricket in the village, raised money for the clock through organising cricket matches.Church – Clock
retrieved 21 June 2012

Gallery

Chancel, The Church of the Holy Cross - geograph.org.uk - 2130080.jpg , Chancel Font, The Church of the Holy Cross - geograph.org.uk - 2130062.jpg , Font

References

{{Reflist

Gilling Gillingr (Old Norse: ; also Gilling) is a jötunn in Norse mythology, and the father of Suttungr. Gillingr and, later, his wife are murdered by the dwarfs Fjalar and Galar. In revenge, his son Suttungr tortures the dwarfs into giving him the mea ...