All Saints, Old Byland, North Yorkshire

All Saints, Old Byland, North Yorkshire

Archaeology

The church of All Saints at Old Byland dates to the late Saxon period. Most of the present church was rebuilt during the Norman period, but the stonework in the exterior of the chancel suggests that once the roof was lower and this implies that parts of the building are likely to be pre-Norman. Furthermore, a late Saxon doorway (now filled in) in the exterior of the chancel also suggests that an earlier church existed on this site before the Norman rebuilding.

In the 1130s when the Byland monks, originally based at Calder in Cumbria were driven out by the Scots, they were provided lands at Old Byland. The church at Old Byland remained in the hands of Byland Abbey afterwards.

Kelly A. Kilpatrick

Saxon, Norman

English

2010-09-19