Church of St Helen, Denton

The Church of St Helen, Denton is a parish church in the hamlet of Denton, near Otley, in North Yorkshire, England. The church was built in 1776 by the architect John Carr, who constructed it in the Gothic style, whereas he usually favoured the Classic style in his architecture. The church was built around a picture window taken from the chapel that it supplanted on the Denton Hall estate. The picture window still exists and is noted for being the only complete picture window by the artist Henry Gyles. A second piece of painted glass exists in the church, by the glass-painted William Peckitt. Whilst the church it is not a consecrated structure, services can take place there, and it is popular with people marrying due to its location close to a reception venue nearby.

Church of St Helens, Denton
A single storey small church, constructed of sandstone, surrounded by trees
St Helen's parish church, Denton
53.936°N 1.7807°W / 53.936; -1.7807
LocationDenton, North Yorkshire
CountryEngland
DenominationChurch of England
History
StatusParish church
DedicationSt Helen
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Completed1776
Administration
DioceseLeeds
ArchdeaconryRichmond and Craven
DeaneryHarrogate
BeneficeWashburn and Mid-Wharfe
ParishWeston with Denton
Clergy
Vicar(s)Reverend Thomas McCaulay
Listed Building – Grade II*
Designated22 November 1966
Reference no.1174421

History

The Church of St Helen was built in 1776 by John Carr of York in the Gothic style; an architectural style that Carr made little use of.[1] It was specially built around a picture window taken from the old chapel-of-ease which, stood next to Denton Hall.[2] The old chapel was last used in 1772 and demolished a few years later.[3] The picture window, a type of stained glass where the image is painted onto the glass, was the work of the artist Henry Gyles, who painted it in 1700, as commissioned by the then Lord Fairfax.[4] Ralph Thoresby described it as "...the noblest painted glass in Northern England."[5] The glass depicts King David playing a harp, Saint Cecilia and a choir.[1] God is represented in a sunburst at the top of the window as a tetragrammaton.[6] The painting is said to have been influenced by an engraving by Johannes Sadeler,[7] and is thought to be the only glass painting of its size by Henry Gyles, anywhere in the world.[8]

A second piece of painted glass is next to the Gyles piece in the east window, which is decorated with flowers and fruits. The second glass was painted by William Peckitt.[9][10]

The church structure is constructed from locally quarried stone, and has a grey slate roof. There are no windows in the northern wall of the church, but recesses exist in the places where windows would normally be sited.[11] The lych-gate leading into the churchyard was a later addition, and is constructed largely from timber with a slate roof.[12] The nave is without aisles, and is in essence, one large open space. The tower is at the west and forms three stages described as "pediment[ed] at the west end and rises to a cube shaped stage."[13] The porch is a single storey edifice with double doors which face onto the south side.[4]

The church was dedicated to St Helen, the mother of Constantine the Great. St Helen was chosen because of her association with the "County of York"; her son spent at least a year in the area fighting the Picts.[14] The church, and its predecessor chapel, were believed to have been constructed close to Denton Hall to allow the Fairfax and Ibbetson families to worship there instead of having to travel in to Otley.[15] The churchyard contains several graves that pre-date the church's construction (such as the members of the Fairfax family),[16] having been moved there from the grounds of Denton Hall.[17] Whilst religious services are able to be carried out at the church, it has not been consecrated.[18] It remains popular with people getting married due to its location close to a popular wedding reception venue nearby. Despite the parish only having a weekly attendance of 27, they returned 22 weddings in 2016, 19 of which, were at Denton.[19]

Memorials

Parish and benefice

The church was donated to Diocese of Ripon in 1867, becoming the parish church for the newly created ecclesiastical Parish of Denton. Before then, it acted as a chapel-of-ease for the area.[22] By 1996, the parish of Denton had been subsumed into the parish of Weston, to become Weston with Denton.[23] In 2008, the church was joined with those at Fewston, Blubberhouses, Leathley and Farnley to become the United Benefice of Washburn and Mid-Wharfe in 2008.[24] The church is now in the Diocese of Leeds.[25]

References
  1. Pevsner, Nikolaus, Sir (2001). Yorkshire The West Riding (2 ed.). London: Penguin. p. 178. ISBN 0300096623.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. Speight 1900, p. 182.
  3. Pickles 1979, p. 157.
  4. Historic England. "Church of St Helen, Denton (Grade II*) (1174421)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  5. Aston, Nigel (2009). Art and religion in Eighteenth-century Europe. London: Reaktion Books. p. 207. ISBN 978-1-86189-377-2.
  6. Hampson, Louise (2016). "Casting a dim religious light": the stained and painted glass of York Minster, c.1450-1802 (Thesis). York: University of York. p. 353. OCLC 1063636650.
  7. Brighton, Trevor. "Gyles, Henry". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/11824. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  8. Kitchen, Ruby (6 September 2021). "The church built round[sic] a window". The Yorkshire Post. p. 3. ISSN 0963-1496.
  9. "The United Benefice of Washburn and Mid-Wharfe is seeking a shepherd to lead the people of our Benefice" (PDF). leeds.anglican.org. p. 24. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  10. Brighton, J T. The enamel glass-painters of York: 1585-1795 (Thesis). York: University of York. p. 281. OCLC 500390991.
  11. Hill, Mark (May 2017). "In the matter of St Helen, Denton Judgment" (PDF). ecclesiasticallawassociation.org.uk. pp. 2–3. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  12. DCACA 2009, p. 7.
  13. DCACA 2009, p. 10.
  14. Speight 1900, pp. 182–183.
  15. DCACA 2009, p. 3.
  16. Bogg, Edmund (1904). Higher Wharfeland : the dale of romance, from Ormscliffe to Cam Fell. York: Sampson. p. 127. OCLC 1045964098.
  17. Speight 1900, p. 183.
  18. "Denton: St Helen About Us". www.achurchnearyou.com. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  19. "The United Benefice of Washburn and Mid-Wharfe is seeking a shepherd to lead the people of our Benefice" (PDF). leeds.anglican.org. p. 25. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  20. "Monument - Leyland". The York Herald. No. 3616. Column E. 15 January 1842. p. 4.
  21. "St Helens Church - WW1 (WMR 47213)". www.iwm.org.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  22. Hill, Mark (May 2017). "In the matter of St Helen, Denton Judgment" (PDF). ecclesiasticallawassociation.org.uk. p. 2. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  23. "The United Benefice of Washburn and Mid-Wharfe is seeking a shepherd to lead the people of our Benefice" (PDF). leeds.anglican.org. p. 4. Retrieved 8 September 2021.
  24. "About Us – WASHBURN AND MID-WHARFE BENEFICE". washburnmidwharfebenefice.org.uk. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  25. "Denton: St Helen Information". www.achurchnearyou.com. Retrieved 7 September 2021.

Sources
  • Denton Conservation Area Character Appraisal (PDF). nidderdaleaonb.org.uk (Report). Harrogate Borough Council. December 2009. Retrieved 6 September 2021.
  • Pickles, May F (1979). "A note on Denton Hall, Wharefdale". Yorkshire Archaeological Journal. Leeds: Yorkshire Archaeological Society. 51. ISSN 0084-4276.
  • Speight, Harry (1900). Upper Wharfedale. Being a complete account of the history, antiquities and scenery of the picturesque valley of the Wharfe, from Otley to Langstrothdale. London: Elliott Stock. OCLC 7225949.
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