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St Oswald's Church - Exterior. The corbel-course is the original one and was retained when the aisle roof was raised in the latter part of the 13th century. The mark of the old aisle roof can be seen against the side of the south transept wall and also at the bracket with carved heads at the southwest corner of the building. The battlements that form the parapet were added in the 15th century. The clerestory above the nave has diminutive Norman windows. TOWER.The weather vane bears a fish instead of the conventional cock.The clock is the work of the famous timepiece maker James Harrison. The mouldings of the ancient roof, of a steeper pitch, can be seen on the four faces of the tower. The roof was lowered towards the end of the 14th century. Although the tower belongs to the lancet phase it still has, in the upper stage of each face above a stringcourse, twin bell openings with pointed sub arches under a round super-arch. The small windows in the east and north faces are the lights on the staircase to the belfry. NAVE.West End.At the West end there is a single lancet. The west window of the north aisle is Norman. The tiny window on the west wall, between the lancet and the Norman window, was intended to light up the staircase into the abandoned western tower. This window cannot be seen from within the church. TRANSEPTS.There are tall lancet windows with hoodmoulds.In each face of the transepts there are central, chamfered buttresses on either side of which, close up, a lancet is placed. A stringcourse runs immediately below the lancets. The transepts have angle buttresses in addition to the central ones. CHANCEL.There are four lancet windows on the south wall and one on the north wall. The east window of three lancets was installed in 1885.The window to the left of the Priest's Door originally reached down to the ground and the built-up stonework can be clearly detected. It is thought that the original window was an example of a "leper window" that enabled lepers and others barred from within the church to watch the services. 
The buttress (shown left) at the southeast corner of the chancel shows the leaning of the wall towards the ravine. The wall is at the left side at the top of the buttress whereas it should sit at its centre.When looking back from this buttress towards the Priest's Door, one can see that the buttress (shown right) at the middle of the south chancel wall also shows the outward leaning. PRIEST'S DOOR. The priest's door on the south side of the Chancel shows the earliest type of E E work with its mouldings and shafts under the pointed arch and assists in dating the Chancel as 1230. To the right of the door, under the sun dial, can be seen the scratch dial showing the hours of 7, 8 and 9 which presumerably were the mass times in the pre-reformation days.SUN DIALThe bronze sun dial bears the Greek inscription "NYX EXPETAI (The Night Cometh), instead of the usual Latin "TEMPUS FUGIT" (Time Flies).1885 - 6 RESTORATION.The church underwent major repairs in 1839 and plans were drawn up in 1874 for alterations and additions. The major restoration work was carried out in 1885 - 6 by William S. Barber of Halifax.The restoration saw the addition of new windows in the south aisle, and the almost completely rebuild of the aisle walls. The floor was lowered and parts of the transept were rebuilt. The roof was completely replaced as it had been infected by the death-watch beetle . click here to see photos of the St Oswald's Church - Interior click here to see photos of the St Oswald's Church - Exterior
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