Modern Britain

The early Gothic style church of St Paul was designed by F C Penrose and consecrated in 1852. It consists of chancel, nave, north-west bell turret with spire, and west door with canopy. There is one bell. A district chapelry was formed out of Catton parish in 1853. The church is now closed and going through the process of redundancy. Kexby Primitive Methodist Chapel was mentioned in the village in 1840 and 1851, but a cottage was used in 1865 and 1877.

Holy Trinity Church, Elvington, stands at the southern end of Church Lane, and the village, before the lane turns westwards. There was a church at Elvington in 1086, although little is known of it in the medieval period. It was out of repair in 1663 and again in 1744. Possibly by 1801 its condition was unrecoverable because the Reverend A Cheap decided to fund much of the work to build a new church rather than repair the old one. The new church opened in 1803.

The new church was of brick with stone dressings, with an embattled west tower, apse, and west gallery. The windows were in 'semigothic' style. It was repaired in 1849 and 1868 and then rebuilt on a site a little to the south in 1876-1877. The new building, in stone, was designed by William White. Elvington Wesleyan Methodist Chapel was built in the village in 1810. It was rebuilt or extensively repaired in 1833 and restored in 1899. It was still used in 1972.

St Helen's Church, Wheldrake, is on the northern side of Main Street, sixty metres east of the Church Close junction. It consists of sanctuary, nave, west tower, and vestry, and existed by 1086. Only the ashlar tower survives from the medieval building. Its lower stage is of the early fourteenth century, but the upper stage is a century or more later, and at about the same time a west doorway was inserted. In 1580 many parishioners were cited for not attending.

The rectangular nave and five-sided sanctuary are of pale red brick with darker brick and stone dressings. Dilapidations were reported in 1578, 1628-1630, and 1745, and repair work was carried out in 1741-1742. Apart from the tower the building dates from a rebuild of 1778-1779. The church was extended in 1824 and restored in 1873. Wheldrake Wesleyan Chapel was built in 1816, and rebuilt in 1863. It was in use until 1970, and is now a private residence.

All photos on this page kindly contributed by Colin Hinson. This concludes the City of York tour.