The church has a north west tower, an aisled nave, and chancel. It was restored in 1874-5. The church is built of a mixture of cut stone, rubble and (in the clerestory) medieval brick. The west wall is thick and may be that of the Norman nave (VCHER VII, 201). The only feature which might be relevant to this Corpus is a reset head at the W exterior face of the N aisle.

A church at Wawne is recorded in 1115, when it was given by Stephen count of Aumale to Beauvais Abbey, presumably for its dependency Aumale priory, later abbey (EYC iii, 30, 35-7). Despite that grant, the church was also said to have been given by William le Gros, count of Aumale, to Meaux at its foundation in 1150 or 1151 (EYC iii, 96). The church had two rectors c.1200. In 1230, the archbishop annexed Wawne church to the office of Chancellor in York Minster. It was probably shortly after this that the church was rebuilt (VCHER VII, 199).

Arcades

The north arcade is of four bays and has pointed, chamfered arches with octagonal capitals, also waterholding bases and round pillars; however, it has been called 12^th-century. It is described by Pevsner and Neave as ‘E.E.’ (Early English) but earlier than the south arcade (1995, 737). Morris (1919, 320-1) says ‘no doubt [the north arcade] is E.E.’

Brandesburton has similar, though ‘more Romanesque’, arcades and piers of similar circumference; it has chamfer stops (compare Great Driffield) but there are none at Wawne.

Reset head

This might be relevant to the Corpus since it would seem to pre-date the north arcade which is judged to be of the early 13^th-century. As the face now appears, cut from its context and weathered, the facial features perhaps look too bold and realistic to be Romanesque, but 12thC examples of this do survive