KIRKDALE, a parish, county of YORK, comprising the township of
Norton, with a portion of Wombleton, within the liberty
of ST-PETER-OF-YORK, East riding, and the townships
of Beadlam, Bransdale (West Side), Muscoates,
Nawton, North Holme, Skiplam, Welburn, and a portion
of Wombleton, in the wapentake of RYEDALE, North
riding, of the county of YORK, 4 miles (E. by N.)
from Helmsley, and containing 1616 inhabitants. The
living is a perpetual curacy, in the archdeaconry of
Cleveland, and diocese of York, endowed with £400
royal bounty, and £1400 parliamentary grant, and in
the patronage of the Chancellor, Masters, and Scholars
of the University of Oxford. The church contains
some Norman portions, and the chancel is in the early
style of English architecture: there is also some ancient
stained glass. In the wall over the south door is a
stone bearing a Saxon inscription commemorative of the
purchase and repairs of St. Gregory's church here in
the reign of the Confessor. From this circumstance the
church has been called a Saxon edifice, but it is allowed
that the stone has been removed from its original situation,
and inserted in the wall for its preservation: the
church has lately received an addition of eighty free
sittings, the Incorporated Society for the enlargement
of churches and chapels having granted £30 towards
defraying the expense. In a cave near this place, three
hundred feet in extent, and from two to five feet in
height and breadth, various fossil remains of an hyena,
elephant, rhinoceros, hippopotamus, and other animals,
were found in 1820.