St Andrew’s Church, in Middleton, marks first stage of restoration

St Andrew’s Church, in Middleton, which is a Grade I-listed building, has undergone an intensive refurbishment over the past 12 months, thanks to Heritage Lottery funding of almost £200,000.

A further £20,000 was raised from local grants and donations.

Repairs completed during the first phase of the works include full waterproofing, substantial replacement of stonework and window repairs.

These have been carried out for the first time in the church’s 1,000-year history. St Andrew’s has also gained a toilet and a kitchen, which will improve facilities for local people, as well as the increasing numbers of national and international visitors.

The church’s famous Viking crosses, which date to between AD 876 and 954, have been moved to the North aisle.

A replica of one of the crosses, which was carved at the Minster Stoneyard, can be found in the Jorvik Viking Centre.

The history of the crosses and the church itself are described in a new full-colour 40-page heritage guide, which will be launched at the open day on Saturday, August 25.

A touch-screen grave locator will allow people to identify a grave, see a photograph of the headstone and its inscription and the local stories of those who once lived in the villages of Middleton, Aislaby and Wrelton.

There will also be a heritage trail, featuring Sweyn the Viking - a character based on a carving from the most famous of the crosses - that will enable children to locate artefacts around the church.

Phase two of the works will include creating a new high-quality display of the Viking crosses, re-decoration of the church and the installation of an environmentally-friendly heating system.

It is hoped that funding for the planned second phase of the works will be managed locally through grant applications and donations. The target amount is a further £220,000.

The open day on Saturday, August 25, begins at 10am, with guided tours at 11am and 2pm. The children’s trail will be available all day.