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CHURCH OF ST MARY

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DESCRIPTION

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Church, mainly of Norman and later date, on site of Benedictine Abbey. A Benedictine abbey at Lastingham, (Laestingaeu), was founded after 654 by St Cedd, who died and was buried there in 664, but it was destroyed by the Danes circa 870. In 1078 the site was granted to the Benedictine monks of Whitby, a party of whom under Abbot Stephen built a new church and monastery, but by 1086 they had moved to York. The church became parochial in 1228 when the unfinished fabric of the original church was adapted and incorporated into the new. There is 11th, 13th and 14th century work, although it is uncertain that any pre-Conquest fabric remains in situ, and some 19th century restoration. A supposed Roman altar said to be from Cawthorn Camps is in the church. There are 12 fragments of Anglian stonework in the church.

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(SE 72749035) (Site of) (NAT) Lastingham Abbey (NR)
(Benedictine) (NAT) (1)

(SE 72819045) St. Mary's Church (C of E) and remains of (NAT) Abbey
(NR) (Benedictine) (NAT) (2)

A Benedictine Abbey at Lastingham was founded after 654 by St Cedd,
who died and was buried here in 664. It was destroyed by the Danes
circa 870. In 1078 the site was granted to the Benedictine monks of
Whitby, a party of whom under Abbot Stephen built a new church
and monastery, but by 1086 the monks had moved to found St.
Mary's Abbey York.

The present apsidal church of St. Mary is mainly of Norman and
later date, and it is difficult to be certain that any fabric has
remained in situ from a pre-Conquest church. The four columns
which support the vault of the crypt rest on bulbous bases whose
form suggests pre-Conquest rather than Norman work and seem to be
re-used fabric from an earlier church; as is also a carved impost in
the chancel and possibly the lower part of the outer north wall
of the crypt and chancel. The style of work suggests the date
950-1100 (4).

An Anglian sculptured fragment found in a barn wall a little north
of the church is to be placed on view in the crypt. (6-7).

A supposed Roman altar in the church is said to be from Cawthorn Campsbut there appears to be no evidence for this provenence. (3). (Not in Collingwood and Wright). (3-9)

Church of St Mary Founded in 1078 as the church of a Benedictine monastery by Stephen of Whitby. It became parochial in 1228 when the unfinished fabric of the original church was adapted and incorporated into the new church. The crypt, chancel and apse date from 1078-85, early 13th west wall and nave arcades, 14th century tower and some 19th century restoration. Grade 1. (10)

Full description of the twelve fragments of Anglian stonework in the church. Five are cross fragments of late 8th-10th century date, there is a hogback of mid 10th century date, three architectural fragments of late 7th-9th century date, part of a chair of 8th century date, and two fragments of 7th-9th century date. (11)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1958

( 2) Annotated Record Map

OS 1:2500 1977

( 3) Scarborough Archaeological and Historical Society research reports

(R H Hayes and J G Rutter) 4 - 1964 Page(s)34

( 4) by H M Taylor and Joan Taylor 1965 Anglo-Saxon architecture : volume 1

Page(s)372-3

( 5) by David Knowles and R Neville Hadcock 1971 Medieval religious houses in England and Wales

Page(s)55 69 476

( 6) Transactions of the Scarborough Archaeological and Historical Society

3 no 17 - 1974 Page(s)22-3

( 7a) Oral information, correspondence (not archived) or staff comments

( 7) Medieval archaeology : journal of the Society for Medieval Archaeology

20 - 1976 Page(s)173

( 8) edited by William Page 1913 The Victoria history of the county of York: volume three

The Victoria history of the counties of England 1913 Page(s)102

( 9) by the late R G Collingwood and the late R P Wright ; addenda and corrigenda by R S O Tomlin 1995 The Roman inscriptions of Britain, 1. Inscriptions on stone; addenda and corrigenda

1965

(10) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

DOE (HHR) District of Ryedale North Yorks 24 June 1987 pp62-4

(11) by James Lang 1991 Corpus of Anglo-Saxon stone sculpture, volume 3 : York and eastern Yorkshire

Page(s)167-174

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