From The Neolithic To The Sea: A Journey From The Past To The Present
St Oswalds Church
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County
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Age
Admission
County
Coordinates
Grid
Condition
Age
Admission
Church
North Yorkshire
54° 12′ 46.8″ N 0° 17′ 13.2″ W
TA1158881018
Good
12th Century
Free
North Yorkshire
54° 12′ 46.8″ N 0° 17′ 13.2″ W
TA1158881018
Good
12th Century
Free
Map
- History
- Gallery
St Oswald's Church is a parish church which is located on the northern edge of a ravine that divides the town of File, Yorkshire. The church dates from the 12th and 13th centuries and some battlements were added in the 15th century, now a grade I listed building. The churches Norman tower has been a wayfaring point for mariners who were sailing between the Tyne and London; it also provided a good point to aim at for those who were landing on the sands at Filey.
The design of St Oswald's is a cruciform church, dating as far back as 1150, although it is thought that some integral features of the church point to an earlier period. The architectural design of Norman transitioning to Early English, suggests the date of the church to be somewhere between 1180 and 1230. The basic structure of the church has remained largely unaltered since the thirteenth century, except the pitch of the rooves have been lowered. The church underwent a substantial renovation in 1839, which cost over £1,500. It was refurbished again in1885 at a cost of £3,600. The roof was partially rebuilt in 1908 after it was destroyed in a fire.
Charles Dickens wrote at length about his time observing the epitaphs in the churchyard. Dickens was especially moved by the harsh lives of the fishermen and their wives. It contains over a thousand graves, 25 are Commonwealth War Graves. The churchyard was closed to burials in 2014, though interment of ashes is still possible. The crew of the fishing boat 'Joan Margaret' are buried in the churchyard after the boat sank in the Humber Estuary after hitting mines.
In 2019, a Consistory Court held at York Minster decided that a body had been buried illegally in the churchyard in October 2018. The deceased had a long-standing wish to be interred in the churchyard to be with his relatives who were laid to rest there. While the vicar was away, the body was buried without the proper authority. Even though the Consistory Court ruled that there had been an illegal burial, they allowed for the body to remain in place as it was the dying man's wish.
The design of St Oswald's is a cruciform church, dating as far back as 1150, although it is thought that some integral features of the church point to an earlier period. The architectural design of Norman transitioning to Early English, suggests the date of the church to be somewhere between 1180 and 1230. The basic structure of the church has remained largely unaltered since the thirteenth century, except the pitch of the rooves have been lowered. The church underwent a substantial renovation in 1839, which cost over £1,500. It was refurbished again in1885 at a cost of £3,600. The roof was partially rebuilt in 1908 after it was destroyed in a fire.
Charles Dickens wrote at length about his time observing the epitaphs in the churchyard. Dickens was especially moved by the harsh lives of the fishermen and their wives. It contains over a thousand graves, 25 are Commonwealth War Graves. The churchyard was closed to burials in 2014, though interment of ashes is still possible. The crew of the fishing boat 'Joan Margaret' are buried in the churchyard after the boat sank in the Humber Estuary after hitting mines.
In 2019, a Consistory Court held at York Minster decided that a body had been buried illegally in the churchyard in October 2018. The deceased had a long-standing wish to be interred in the churchyard to be with his relatives who were laid to rest there. While the vicar was away, the body was buried without the proper authority. Even though the Consistory Court ruled that there had been an illegal burial, they allowed for the body to remain in place as it was the dying man's wish.
