Church of St Mary, Lastingham

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Coordinates: 54°18′16″N 0°52′57″W / 54.3045°N 0.8826°W / 54.3045; -0.8826
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Church of St Mary, Lastingham
St Mary's Church
Perpendicular
Years built1078–1086
Administration
DioceseYork
ArchdeaconryCleveland
DeaneryNorthern Ryedale
BeneficeLastingham with Appleton-le-Moors and Rosedale
ParishLastingham
Listed Building – Grade I
Designated14 July 1955
Reference no.1316041

The Church of St Mary, Lastingham, is the Anglican parish church for the village of Lastingham in North Yorkshire, England. The parish is part of Ryedale and is located 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Kirkbymoorside, 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Pickering and 30 miles (48 km) north east from York.[1]

The first church on the site was a Catholic monastery founded in 654, though the present church dates from the latter part of the 11th century and was converted to an Anglican church during the Reformation. Lastingham has been an important part of Christian heritage and culture in Northern England and as such, has been a place of pilgrimage, especially for its rare crypt, which is said to be unique architecturally for England, and possibly, the world.

History

The

St Cedd was the first abbot and he died of the plague at Lastingham in 664.[6] At first he was buried in the open air, but the monks eventually built a church around him.[7] This church has no substantial structures left; it is thought that the church was destroyed during the various raids in the area over the next 400 years, particularly by Danish invaders.[8]

When Cedd died, his brother

St Chad, took over as abbot and running of the monastery, but not long afterwards, he moved to Lichfield.[9] Eventually, the relics and remnants of St Cedd's presence at Lastingham were removed and kept with those of his brother in Lichfield. Some of their bones are now entombed in Birmingham's Catholic Cathedral[10] though St Cedd is believed to be mostly buried at Lastingham.[11]

The monastery is believed to have been destroyed in 870, but

Benedictine monks from Whitby, set up the new church under Stephen.[13] However, they only stayed for ten years before moving on to York; it was reasoned later that the remoteness of the abbey and the outlaw nature of the area forced them to relocate. The revival of the church has therefore been confined to a clear decade and the Romanesque architecture is prominent in the reconstructed church. Some have pointed out the rarity in being able to see a start and end date in the building of the church.[14]

The church, originally Catholic, came under Anglican jurisdiction following the dissolution of the monasteries during the Reformation.

Architectural development

During the 13th century, arcades, bays and aisle in the north and south parts of the church were added. In the following century, the tower was erected and it was left for five centuries with little further work until 1879, when it was renovated by

Anglo-Saxon period.[19]

Lastingham church crypt

The crypt underneath St Mary's, has walls that are 3 feet (0.91 m) thick.

cock-fighting was said to have taken place in the crypt, with or without the knowledge of the clergy and churchwarden.[24]

The architecture of the church in conjunction with its history, means that it regularly features on the best of lists for Anglican churches in England. Pevsner described the crypt as "unforgettable";[25] John Betjeman concurred describing St Mary's as "one of the most moving places in England".[26] Simon Jenkins is equally effusive in his book, England's Thousand Best Churches, awarding the church four stars out of a possible five and stating that while "most churches are a challenge to the faithful, Lastingham is a challenge to the faithless." Jenkins notes the rarity of the crypt but also points out that the church lacks monuments and historical artefacts:

Lastingham has few furnishings of interest. It does not need them.[27]

  • Church of Saint Mary
  • from the south
    from the south
  • nave
    nave
  • font
    font
  • capitals in the crypt
    capitals in the crypt

The parish and benefice

The church has been the parish church for Lastingham since at least 1228,[28] although the church was given to St Mary's in York until 1299 and its first vicar is not listed until 1314.[29]

The benefice of Lastingham includes four parishes with five churches; Christ Church, Appleton-le-Moors, St Gregory Cropton, St Chad Hutton-le-Hole,[note 1] St Mary Lastingham and St Mary & St Lawrence in Rosedale Abbey.[30]

Notes

  1. ^ Actually a Chapel of Ease to St Mary's at Lastingham.

References

  1. ^ "Genuki: Lastingham parish registers: Dates and current locations etc., Yorkshire (North Riding)". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  2. ^ George 1888, p. 161.
  3. ISBN 0-19-869103-3
    .
  4. ^ George 1888, p. 158.
  5. OCLC 611540945
    .
  6. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/4985. Retrieved 16 October 2018. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  7. ^ "St Marys Church Lastingham - History". lastinghamparishchurch.org.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  8. ISBN 978-1409371045
    .
  9. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/4970. Retrieved 13 November 2018. (Subscription or UK public library membership
    required.)
  10. ISBN 9780954476748
    .
  11. ^ "Bradwell: Hundreds of worshippers enjoy annual pilgrimage". Daily Gazette. 6 July 1999. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  12. ^ "Genuki: ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY., Yorkshire (North Riding)". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  13. ^ Historic England. "Church of St Mary (60718)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  14. ISBN 978-1-84383-735-0
    .
  15. ^ "Parishes: Lastingham | British History Online". www.british-history.ac.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  16. ^ a b Glynne 2007, p. 267.
  17. ^ Glynne 2007, p. 268.
  18. ^ Pevsner 1973, p. 225.
  19. ^ "The king of the stones". Gazette & Herald. 18 May 2006. Retrieved 14 November 2018.
  20. ^ Williams, Christopher (24 October 2015). "Yorkshire village with a mobile 'not-spot' battles 80ft mast". The Telegraph. Retrieved 16 October 2018.
  21. ISBN 978-1-84162-548-5
    .
  22. ISBN 978-1-78503-657-6
    .
  23. ISBN 978-1-909268-16-6
    .
  24. ISBN 1-85058-793-0
    .
  25. ^ Pevsner 1973, p. 224.
  26. ^ Lewis, Stephen (16 July 2011). "Betjeman's Best British Churches, updated by Richard Surman (Collins, £35)". York Press. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  27. ISBN 0-14-029795-2
    .
  28. ^ "St Marys Church Lastingham History". www.lastinghamparishchurch.org.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  29. ^ "Genuki: ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY., Yorkshire (North Riding)". www.genuki.org.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2018.
  30. ^ "St Marys Church Lastingham The Benefice". www.lastinghamparishchurch.org.uk. Retrieved 13 November 2018.

Sources

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to St Mary's Church, Lastingham.
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