<< Our Photo Pages >> St Gregory's Church (Bedale) - Early Christian Sculptured Stone in England in Yorkshire (North)
Submitted by Sunny100 on Wednesday, 18 August 2010 Page Views: 7792
Early Medieval (Dark Age)Site Name: St Gregory's Church (Bedale) Alternative Name: The Bedale Viking Stones, Wayland's StoneCountry: England
NOTE: This site is 5.1 km away from the location you searched for.
County: Yorkshire (North) Type: Early Christian Sculptured Stone
Nearest Town: Bedale
Map Ref: SE266885
Latitude: 54.291437N Longitude: 1.592853W
Condition:
5 | Perfect |
4 | Almost Perfect |
3 | Reasonable but with some damage |
2 | Ruined but still recognisable as an ancient site |
1 | Pretty much destroyed, possibly visible as crop marks |
0 | No data. |
-1 | Completely destroyed |
5 | Superb |
4 | Good |
3 | Ordinary |
2 | Not Good |
1 | Awful |
0 | No data. |
5 | Can be driven to, probably with disabled access |
4 | Short walk on a footpath |
3 | Requiring a bit more of a walk |
2 | A long walk |
1 | In the middle of nowhere, a nightmare to find |
0 | No data. |
5 | co-ordinates taken by GPS or official recorded co-ordinates |
4 | co-ordinates scaled from a detailed map |
3 | co-ordinates scaled from a bad map |
2 | co-ordinates of the nearest village |
1 | co-ordinates of the nearest town |
0 | no data |
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Anne T visited on 11th May 2017 - their rating: Cond: 3 Amb: 4 Access: 5 Anglo-Danish stones, St. Gregory's, Bedale: We’d been to St. Gregory’s a long time ago, but the stone fragments had just been moved into the crypt at the advice of North Yorkshire Police because one stone had been stolen.
So as not to be disappointed this time, I’d been corresponding with ‘Rev Robb’ (Rev. Ian Robinson) to make an appointment to get into the crypt. At the time I’d last contacted him, it was just before Easter. He offered the date of 27th May, when a group was also visiting. I elected to leave it until he returned from holiday, and arranged 11th May, with us attending Holy Communion at 10am, staying on to look round the church and be shown the stones.
The parishioners made us very welcome indeed. After the service, Rev. Robinson came and introduced us and took us round to the crypt (which is on the outside of the church – I’d had visions of climbing down dusty, steep steps!), with a step down into the crypt, which is built under the altar in the sanctuary (note: later exploring the church, climbing up the steps to this altar, you are at least 6 to 8 feet above the congregation; it would not be good if you missed one of the steps!).
I gave Rev. Robinson a printout of the Portal page with the drawings. First of all he told me that since he’d been vicar here (for 6 years) there had only been the two stones – one had ‘gone missing’ and weren’t sure of it’s location (possibly Durham Cathedral?). He helped me identify the half torso. Because of the story associated with this stone, he was torn between keeping the stone because of it’s non-Christian origins vs being part of the church’s history.
The church guide says “A Viking myth tells of a man called Weland (pronounced Wayland), a highly skilled smith. He is captured by a king, who has his hamstrings cut to prevent him from escaping; but he escapes on a flying machine he has made. The caring on the stone …. Shows part of Welland on his machine. You can make out the fan shaped tail and one of the wings as well as his feet, legs and body bound together by Celtic knots. On the ned of the tombstone are the remains of a nativity scene ….. this is part of a hogback tombstone dating from the 10th century. In 2003 it was rediscovered in the crypt and has been identified as the Weland stone of which there are only three known examples in this country. The others are in Leeds Parish church and Sherburn Church, near Filey.”
The other stone “was part of a column or pillar, (and) is a good example of Anglian knotwork.”
Also in the crypt is a curious staircase which leads up to the side of the altar. We were told this was for the Chantry monks to go straight up to the main body of the church. There was also a small ‘arms column’ locked with three enormous, hand-made padlocks. In the vestry, there were numerous examples of chests locked with three keys (each needing a different key). There are five effigies; four at the west end of the nave, one in the vestry. The staircase to the bell tower had a portcullis (you can still see where it used to be raised up), and looking up into the tower there is a hatch; above this, the Reverend told us there was a room with a guard-robe and a fireplace.
St Gregory's Church at Bedale, near Northallerton, stands on an Anglo-Saxon site though the present church is 13th century. Kept under lock and key in the crypt under the chancel are two of the four Saxon/Norse stone fragments which remain. These stones used to be kept in the church, but one was stolen and North Yorkshire Police recommended moving them to the crypt.
One stone (now missing, perhaps in Durham Cathedral's collection?) has two serpents with their tongues forming the interlacing, while a figure, possibly Christ, looks on at the side with his hand raised. Another stone (still displayed) has a figure intertwined amongst interlacing. This figure, or half a figure, has a double circle at the top of the torso - forming a round aperture. The figure could be the mythical Norse character Wayland the Smith. These two stones may have been part of a Saxon/Viking cross or a gravestone, dating from the 8th-10th century.
The other two arched-shaped stones may have come from the ends of an hogsback tombstone, again about the 9th century. One (now missing) has what is probably a crucifixion scene, with Christ and two figures at either side, perhaps the Virgin Mary and St John the Evangelist. Or could this, in fact, be a depiction of The Tree of Life. At the far left-hand side an odd-shaped dove of peace with a human face. The second stone, also arched-shaped, has what could be diamond shapes or chevrons and below that some swirls.
For access to the crypt, contact the vicar (currently Rev. Ian Robinson) or the parish office - details can be found on 'A Church Near You' web site; see the entry for St. Gregory's, Bedale).
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