St John the Baptist church, Kirk Hammerton

The church is Anglo-Saxon in origin, and was originally dedicated to St Quentin. The Saxon part of the church, which now forms the Lady Chapel, is believed to have been built in the 9th century, with the tower being added in around 950 AD. This older section was largely constructed from blocks of millstone grit taken from the ruins of the Roman city of Eboracum. There were alterations carried out around 1150 and 1834. In 1892 the building was significantly extended. The church was listed as a Grade I building in 1966.

Due to the alterations and extensions, there is mixture of architectural styles and effects within the interior. The walls of the south aisle are whitewashed, whereas the north aisle is bare stone. Both arcades area also of varying styles and height. The vaulting is timber. The interior is richly decorated in a Pre-Raphaelite style that was added at the time of the Victorian extension. The door to the chapel is of Saxon origin and there is evidence of another doorway that has been filled. The west door is Saxon in origin, but the south door has had the right side restored, though the remainder is Saxon. The font dates from the reign of King Charles II. Some of the stained glass windows were…