St Gregory's Minster

Kirkdale

Location; Turn north at a crossroads on the A170, 1mile west of Kirbymoorside.

Follow signs for Kirkdale on minor roads for ½mile. Multimap

Description; The most significant part of St Gregory's is the Saxon Sundial above the south door. It has an Old English inscription;

+ORM GAMAL SVNA BOHTE SCS GREGORIVS MINSTER THONNE HIT WES AEL TOBROCAN & TOFALAN & HE HIT LET MACAN NEWAN FROM GRVNDE XPE & SCS GREGORIVS IN EADWARD DAGVM CNG &N TOSTI DAGVM EORL+

which translates as;

“+Orm, Gamal's son, bought St Gregory's Minster when it was broken down and fallen, and had it rebuilt from the ground in honour of Christ and St Gregory,in the days of Edward the King and Tosti the earl+”.

giving some important information about the building; that it replaced an earlier one dedicated to St Gregory, and that it was built between 1055 and1065, when Tosti(g), brother of the future King Harold, was Earl of Northumbria.

There are several Anglian Crosses preserved within the church, and several used in the fabric of the walls. Two almost complete examples can easily be seen in a horizontal position low in the exterior south wall of the nave.

Only the nave is saxon, with later windows. The tower is 19^th C. It hides the original west door, which can still be seen from inside the tower.