St Michael's Church is an

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

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, ...

in Coxwold, North Yorkshire, England. The

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 or m ...

of Coxwold is part of the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britain ...

's Diocese of York. The earliest church on the site dates to the

Anglo-Saxon The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...

period. That church was replaced by a

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

one built in the 11th century, and that in turn was replaced with the present church which was built by 1430. The church is in the Perpendicular style, and among its unusual features are an octagonal tower and a tongue-shaped

altar rail The altar rail (also known as a communion rail or chancel rail) is a low barrier, sometimes ornate and usually made of stone, wood or metal in some combination, delimiting the chancel or the sanctuary and altar in a church, from the nave and oth ...

. The church is a grade I listed building. The church is the resting place of

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

Lord Adolphus FitzClarence Lord Adolphus FitzClarence, GCH, ADC (18 February 1802 – 17 May 1856) was a British naval officer. Biography FitzClarence was born at Bushy House, Middlesex, and was an illegitimate child of Prince William, Duke of Clarence and St Andrews (l ...

, an illegitimate son of Prince William, the future William IV, and his mistress Dorothea Jordan.

Gallery

St Michael Coxwold chancel.jpg, Chancel of St Michael's Laurence Sternes' grave, Coxwold churchyard - geograph.org.uk - 1569147.jpg, Laurence Sterne's gravestone Coxwold War Memorial.jpg, War Memorial

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coxwold, St Michael 15th-century church buildings in England Grade I listed churches in North Yorkshire English Gothic architecture in North Yorkshire St Michael Church of England church buildings in North Yorkshire

See also

Gallery

References