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1 The Font
On your left as you enter the church you will see our font. It has been in use, in one church or another, for around a thousand years.
The font cover (not shown in the picture) is much more recent. It was a gift at the baptism of a little boy in July 1903. He had been born the previous winter when his parents, whose home was in York, had become snowed in at the Mallyan Spout Hotel. The cover is an expression of their gratitude and is marked with his name, Gabriel.
2 The Coat of Arms
Between the windows on the west wall you will find a royal coat of arms. At the Restoration of the Monarchy in 1660 churches were required by Order in Council to show their loyalty by displaying the royal coat of arms. As the monarchs changed, many of the coats of arms were overpainted. The practice continued until the reign of George III, when our coat of arms was painted. The small shield at the centre of the large one bears the arms of Hanover to show that George III also ruled over that province. Read more about this here.
3 The Millennium Windows
The stained glass windows in the west wall were commissioned for the Millennium. They are described in detail on the 'Stained Glass' page.
4 The Mice!
Turning to look down the nave, you will see on the wall to your right a wooden memorial board. On the top border of the board there is a carved mouse, similar to that in the picture. This is the famous trademark of Robert Thompson of Kilburn, who was responsible for much of the woodwork in the church. There are eight and a half other mice to be spotted and one which can be felt but not seen! We provide a 'Mouse Trail' sheet which you can follow.
5 The Chancel arches
Looking down the nave, one of the most striking features of the interior design of the church is the twin arches which support the tower. The clock and bells are in a chamber above the arches. This chamber may be visited by arrangement.
6 The South Windows
The memorial windows in the south wall (to the right in the picture of the nave) were made by J. C. N. Bewsey, whose mark is shown in the bottom right corner of the panel nearest to the church door. The two windows depict saints associated with the church and local area. Starting at the panel nearest the door you can see: St Cuthbert, St Hilda, St Aidan, St Nicholas, St Mary and St Boniface. They are described in detail on the 'Stained Glass' page.
7 The Pulpit
The pulpit dates back to the time of the first Queen Elizabeth. It stood in two earlier churches on this same site.
8 The Bells
We have five bells which are rung using a system developed by Revd Henry Thomas Ellacombe (1790 -1885) one time Vicar of Bitton, Gloucestershire. In this system, the bells remain ‘still’ (in the down position) and are struck on the inside of the rim by hammers attached to ropes. The ropes are housed in a frame on the wall and thus changes can be rung by one person alone. Click here for more information on the bells.
9 The Clock
The clock, by William Potts and Sons of Leeds, was installed in 1901 at the same time as the ring of five bells. It tells the time on two dials, one on the east face of the tower and one on the north. It has been extensively modified over the years to use up-to-date power sources and regulating technology. Click here for more information on the clock.
10 The Organ
The organ is situated to the right between the chancel arches. It was built and installed in 1899 by Messrs Harrison and Harrison of Durham who have maintained it ever since. Its details can be found here: http://www.npor.org.uk/cgi-bin/Rsearch.cgi?Fn=Rsearch&rec_index=N02982
A Mr Barnard of St Hilda's church in Whitby had advised the Vicar, Revd Ernest Hare: "I like my little organ at St Hilda's so well that I wish you would do something on the same lines for Goathland." In fact St Hilda's organ had cost £210 and St Mary's could afford only £120, but a deal was done for a scaled down version. You can read the Vicar's original letter ordering the organ here.
11 The old Altar Table
To the left of the present altar you will find a stone altar slab which dates back to the twelfth century: probably to the first place of worship in Goathland. Five crosses are chiselled into its top and side, symbolising the five wounds of Christ. They would have been put there when the altar was consecrated by a bishop.
12 The East Window
The stained glass east window shows the life of Jesus. It was designed by A. L. Moore
and is described in detail on the 'Stained Glass' page.
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