St James
Ravenfield, Yorkshire
This gem of a church dates from the 18th century.
Much of the village and its surrounding land was owned by the Wentworth Estates as late as the 1960s. Thomas Wentworth, 1st Earl of Strafford was sentenced to death. He was convinced the King would save him, but the king failed to act and Thomas was beheaded in 1641. In 1895, during work to the chancel floor, workmen found the bones of a man with a severed vertebrae to the neck, leading to the thought that Thomas had in fact been secretly buried here.
The church has Norman arches and other interesting stonework. There are three grooves in the stone bench to the right of the porch, where it is thought archers used to sharpen their arrow heads and crossbow bolts.
Inside the church are some wonderful monuments, including one to Charles Newby, who died in 1701 featuring cherubs, scrolls and a skull! Under the west window is a rectangular, stone coffin lid, dating from about 1200.
Revd Gatty, who was Rector from 1888 to 1914 was friends with the composer Vaughan Williams. He was a frequent visitor to the rectory, from where he took inspiration. It is believed that during one stay he wrote ‘Linden Lea’, one of his more popular songs. Gustav Holst was also a regular visitor.