Church of Christ the Consoler

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The Church of Christ the Consoler is located at Skelton-on-Ure, in North Yorkshire, England. It was designed and built by William Burges. He was commissioned by George Robinson, 1st Marquess of Ripon to build it as a tribute to the Marquess' brother-in-law Frederick Vyner who was murdered by Greek bandits in 1870.

Vyner was captured by bandits whilst travelling in Greece in 1870. A significant ransom was demanded, and in part collected, before a botched rescue attempt led to his death and the deaths of his two companions. Vyner's mother determined that the ransom would be used to fund the building of a memorial church on her Yorkshire estate, his sister, Lady Ripon, embarking on an identical project, building St Mary's Church on her estate at Studley Royal. Burges obtained the commissions for both churches in 1870, perhaps because of the connection between his greatest patron, John Crichton-Stuart, 3rd Marquess of Bute and Vyner, who had been friends at Oxford.

The construction of the Church of Christ the Consoler began in 1871 and the church was complete by 1876. The interior style is rich , with members of Burges' favoured team e.g. Nicholls and Lonsdale, contributing. It is particularly interesting as representing an architectural move from Burges' favoured Early French style to an English inspiration.