THE Vicar of Upper Wensleydale, in North Yorkshire, the Revd David Clark, has expressed disappointment at the “upsetting” reaction of villagers in Askrigg to the new rendering of the clock tower of St Oswald’s.
One described the work, unveiled last week, as “quite horrendous”.
The Grade I listed church featured in the TV series All Creatures Great and Small, where it is portrayed as the parish church of the fictional village of Darrowby. Its orientation in Upper Wensleydale exposes it to driving rain, which had penetrated the bell-chamber. Investigations suggested that lime pointing alone would not solve the problem.
Planning permission to render and limewash the tower against further weathering was granted in 2019 by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority (YDNPA). A white test-patch applied in October 2022 led to protests from villagers and an online petition that gathered more than 400 signatures. The proposal was deemed “an absolute eyesore”, completely out of keeping with the rest of the village, and likened to “placing a lighthouse in the middle of the Dales” (News, 4 November 2022).
Mr Clark suggested at the time that campaigners’ fears were misplaced, as the current patches did not represent the potential colour, but purely the texture of the finish. He warned of serious consequences of doing nothing to stop the damp.
Masons began the work last summer (News, 7 June 2024), reactivating campaigners’ protests. The diocese of Leeds said at the time: “The limewash will not be white but rather a soft honey colour, in keeping with the newly cleaned masonry of the building.”
Roger Templeman/Creative CommonsThe tower of St Oswald’s was still covered last month
Since then, the tower has been wrapped in scaffolding and protective sheeting, which was removed last week, prompting a renewed outcry. One villager, Emma Brooke, 63, told media this week: “It’s a disgrace that this was ever allowed to happen, and I’m afraid the vicar has to shoulder a lot of the responsibility. The last words to come from his mouth at a public meeting on the rendering of the tower was: ‘It will not be white.’ Well, I’m sorry, but it’s white. It is entirely out of keeping with the beautiful landscape of the national park, and it is every bit the eyesore that we all feared it would be.”
Another resident, Phillip Halton, said: “Now the wrapping and scaffolding is down we can see it properly and all our original fears have been confirmed. . . It has disfigured the church, changed the face of the village, and it is quite horrendous.”
Others have taken to social media. One user described the change as “an abomination” that could be seen for miles.
Mr Clark, maintaining that the rendering was not white, said: “To hear and to read ‘Dave Clark is a liar’ is disappointing, and it is actually upsetting. Some of the things written online about me have been very personal, and that’s difficult. However, I have broad shoulders and I accept that people feel strongly about this issue, and that, as the vicar, I am the focal point for that.
“We are not diminishing anyone’s distress over this, but I feel there would have been greater distress if the tower had fallen down or if the bells came loose and fell through the floor. I am sorry if people felt they were left out of the loop, but someone had to make a decision, and it certainly was not made in isolation.
“This has been a process that has gone on for ten years, and has taken on board the advice and guidance of experts from around the world.”
