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Anne T visited on 5th Oct 2014 - their rating: Cond: 4 Amb: 4 Access: 4 Stanwick Crosses, North Yorkshire (St John The Baptist): 8th August 2015, return visit in daylight. As we were passing close by on the way back from Richmond, we decided to pop in to try and see the rest of the stones in relative daylight (there is no electricity in the church - should have thought to take torches). We saw most of the ones in the outer south wall and some of the ones in the south west corner, although I'm still trying to marry up the text and images in the Stanwick Stones book inside the church with the actual stones I photographed. Despite being a glorious summer evening we needed to use the torch app on my husband's phone to try and photograph the Viking Ring Cross in all its glory, and somewhat failed. Hoping for a repeat visit in early September with the flash gun I can slave to the camera.

Original visit: 5th October 2014: We meant to go to St. Cuthbert’s in Forcett, but as I spotted a signpost saying ‘historic church’, husband wrenched the wheel of the car hard left and we drove the 200 yards down the road to end up at St. John the Baptist Church in Stanwick (so much for my map-reading skills!). This was definitely worth coming to – lots of Saxon and Viking remains, but as there were no lights in the church (there were light switches but they didn't function) and it was very definitely dusk. Definitely needs a repeat visit!
The name Stanwick comes from old Norse (‘stein veggr’ meaning stone walls or building). Settlement at Stanwick dates back to the Iron Age, with the original site of habitation at Tofts, the hill just to the south of the church. In this small hamlet, the present church of St John The Baptist dates from the 13th century, although there is plenty of evidence for earlier Christian presence on this site. Inside the church, under the tower, is a Viking Ring Cross and built into the walls of the porch are two hog-back fragments. The churchyard is roughly circular which suggests a Saxon burial ground and the shaft of a 9th century Anglo Saxon cross sits at the south east corner of the church. The tower, main doorway, part of the chancel and the eastern window in the south aisle are all 13th century. The church was declared redundant in 1990 and is in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust, although there appear to be occasional services here and there are some recent burials in the churchyard. As well as the Viking and Anglo Saxon crosses, there is an unusual tomb-chest in the south aisle and a hand-pumped organ. There were no lights within the church, so a daytime visit seems to be essential to see everything this beautiful church has to offer.

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