St Aidan’s Church

Location: Helmsley

This former dilapidated and important Gothic revival church has been sensitively refurbished and converted to provide living accommodation for use as a holiday let within the North York National Park. The church with its original interior and fittings is the first full design commission by the noted late Gothic revival architect Temple Lushington Moore who was a pupil of George Gilbert Scott Jnr. at the time. The church was completed in 1886 and is a small unified nave and chancel space capable of holding a congregation of about 30, with bell tower to the west end. It is Grade 2* listed.
A simple rectilinear extension to the north of contrasting contemporary design provides the kitchen, bathroom, shower and small day room to the rear. This infill form is clad in a dark bronze effect zinc sheet worked on site and as a reference to church metalwork craft and to evoke the predominant colour hues of the nearby moorland. A On the north boundary the existing drystone wall has been rebuilt and forms part of the main external wall. There has been minimal alteration to the church interior with only the moving of the font into the SW corner and a small area of new matching woodblock floor in the chancel. A triple glazed oak internal screen to the original church entrance and insulation in the roof substantially reduce energy consumption. The extension is an highly insulated airtight envelope with triple glazed windows and roof glazing. A carefully designed lighting scheme of predominantly LED fittings carefully emphasises the original internal features whilst natural daylight flows into the extension as a contrast to the soft light of the main church interior with its restored decorated ceiling and characteristic Gothic revival fitments