Church of St Ninian
CHURCH OF ST NINIAN, BAXTERGATE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1148349
- Date first listed:
- 23-Feb-1954
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St Ninian
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST NINIAN, BAXTERGATE
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2001-03-04
- Reference:
- IOE01/03647/09
- Rights:
- © Mr John Turner. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1148349
- Date first listed:
- 23-Feb-1954
- List Entry Name:
- Church of St Ninian
- Statutory Address 1:
- CHURCH OF ST NINIAN, BAXTERGATE
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- CHURCH OF ST NINIAN, BAXTERGATE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- North Yorkshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Whitby
- National Grid Reference:
- NZ 89818 10964
Details
WHITBY
665/3/45 BAXTERGATE 23-FEB-54 (North side) CHURCH OF ST NINIAN
GV II* Church, used by the Catholic Church (Western Rite). Its W end is part of the street line in Baxtergate. 1776-8 brick front and 3-sided galleries; early C19 internal porch; 1890 chancel to the designs of E H Smales. Flemish bond handmade brick, roof covering not visible at time of visit (July 2002). Rectangular nave with internal porch and right and left staircases to the 3-sided gallery. Chancel with apsidal sanctuary.
The E elevation, to Baxter Street has two flights of steps with iron railings up the W doorway. Doorcase with open pediment on consoles with a dentil cornice, a keyblock and curious shafts to the jambs; C20 door. To left and right large 3-light transomed windows with intersecting glazing bars; similar half window over the door. The timber bellcote referred to in the previous list description has been removed. 3 round-headed E windows to sanctuary. The galleries are lit from probably early C20 segmental-headed windows on the N and S sides and, from the E, from c. early C19 windows with intersecting glazing bars.
Interior: Galleries on W, N and S sides have fronts with fielded panels and are supported on stout timber columns. Utilitarian king post and strut roof with outer posts and struts, boarded behind. Round-headed sanctuary arch, the spandrels painted with alpha and omega symbols. The apse has a flat ceiling and is top-lit. The 1821 internal porch consists of a timber panelled screen with a pretty internal fanlight with intersecting glazing bars. Gallery stairs have turned balusters. Some C18 gallery benches survive, painted light green, including what appears to be a one-seater privy in one of the back benches on the ritual N side. The other fittings are late C19 and C20. English altar. Early C20 3-bay timber chancel screen with round-headed openings, figure niches and rood figures. Early C20 polygonal timber pulpit with dentil cornice and classical detail. 1914 font with large square bowl on a circular stem with corner shafts. Late C19 nave benches, the ends with chamfered corners and rounded shoulders. C19 choir stalls with poppyhead finials to the ends, the frontals pierced with shouldered arches.
Historical Note: The oak posts supporting the gallery were supplied by a mast maker of Whitby, Isaac Allanson. Men from his yards were deployed on the church when they could be spared.
An unusual example of an C18 brick-fronted church with Gothic detail to windows and classical doorway, front integrated with street. Interior preserves a good example of a 3-sided gallery with panelled front. Chancel & apse added c.1890.
Sources Pevsner, Yorkshire: The North Riding, 1966, 396 A Tour of St Ninian's Church, Baxtergate, Whitby, n.d.
Listing NGR: NZ8981810964
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 326547
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 04-Jun-2026 at 10:14:51.
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