Vikings in Yorkshire Churches Tour

Step into the wild, story-soaked landscapes of Yorkshire and trace the echoes of the Viking age on a guided tour of churches with Viking connections.

Along with at least one other local church, we will visit Skipwith and Stillingfleet, two villages where Norse myth and medieval faith intertwine. In Skipwith, kneel (it’s very low down in the wall) before the remarkable Ragnarök stone, its carved imagery stirring memories of ancient. At Stillingfleet there is an ancient door, decorated with Scandinavian style ironwork, which might have come from an earlier Viking building. Both churches have been supported through our funding.

Joining us will be Dr Katherine Cross (Lecturer in History at York St John University) and Pragya Vohra (Lecturer in Medieval History at York University) who are leading a new project researching Vikings in churches across Yorkshire.

Travel with us through big skies and ancient paths, and discover how myth, memory and landscape meet.

The tour will take place on Wednesday 16 September, starting at 10.30am.

Tickets cost £57 per person (plus online booking fees), including guided coach travel from York Train Station, entry and guided tours of the churches, and a sandwich lunch.

This event will raise funds for the work of the National Churches Trust, supporting churches, chapels and meeting houses across the UK.

St Helen, Skipwith

A peaceful Anglo-Saxon church rich in rare and remarkable features and set in a wonderfully peaceful location, a real gem!

Its striking tower, dated to around 960AD, stands on the site of an even earlier church. On the first stage of the south wall of the tower there is the Bear stone, thought to be part of a piece of ecclesiastical furniture, and on the first stage of the west wall you find a very worn early 9th century panel depicting ‘The Women at the Sepulchre on Easter Morning’.

Inside is the celebrated Ragnarok stone, carved with a dramatic scene from Norse mythology, thought to depict the Apocalypse. The fine arch leads to a Norman nave and later medieval aisles, while the chancel preserves fragments of medieval glass.

Outside, ancient carved stones, weathered grave slabs and a dignified war memorial complete this tranquil and deeply historic Yorkshire setting.

https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/church/st-helen-skipwith

Image: Sarah Crossland

St Helen, Stillingfleet

This charming 12th-century church is famed for its magnificent five-order Norman south-west doorway, considered one of the finest in England. Each richly carved arch is supported by nook shafts with decorative capitals.

Inside hangs the remarkable 850 year-old wooden “Viking” door, now conserved but once in daily use. Research has shown it dates from the original church, with possible earlier origins. Its extraordinary ironwork survives almost intact, including sweeping C-hinges and figures of a cross, ship, tree and mysterious horned form, making it a rare and compelling treasure of medieval Yorkshire.

https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/church/st-helen-stillingfleet

Image: Chris Heaton

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