Lastingham, North Yorkshire 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿
📸 Caroline Shanks

The 11th century crypt at St. Mary’s Church, Lastingham, North Yorkshire. #MarchArch

Lastingham crypt - a magical place

The Norman crypt at the Parish Church of St Mary at Lastingham in North Yorkshire. The crypt was built as a shrine to St Cedd who founded the monastery at Lastingham in 644 and was buried there in 664. The crypt is thought to incorporate stonework from the earlier Saxon church.

The Norman crypt underneath the church of St Mary, Lastingham, on the edge of the North York Moors, is an exceptional space. Supposedly the oldest Norman crypt in the world and the only one with a nave, aisles and an apsidal chancel.

March 2nd is the feast of Saint Chad, “the Apostle of Mercia”: Northumbrian nobleman, Columban monk of Lindisfarne, second Abbot of Lastingham, Bishop of York, itinerant preacher, first Bishop of Lichfield, founder of Barrow Abbey, and wonderworker—who died on this day in AD 672.

October 26th is the feast of Saint Cedd, “Apostle of Essex”: Northumbrian nobleman, Columban monk of Lindisfarne, polyglot, diplomat to King St. Oswiu, missionary to the Middle Angles and East Saxons, second Bishop of London, and founding Abbot of Lastingham—where he died in 664.

Crypt at Lastingham. Phil's photography never fails to inspire me when I feel over-matched by the challenge ahead.

La iglesia de Santa María de Lastingham se asienta sobre los páramos del norte de #Inglaterra .

Fundada en 654 como monasterio, fue destruída repetidas veces por daneses y bandidos, hasta poder refundarse en el románico normando del s. XII con reformas armoniosas hasta el s. XIX.

The crypt of St Mary’s, Lastingham, N Yorkshire dates from 1078, and is built on St Cedd’s 7th-century foundation here.
It’s filled with lots of interesting stone fragments - bits of high crosses and hogback stones.

July 4th trip to the Yorkshire Moors near the site of St Cedd's 7th century foundation at Lastingham: first, the 11th century monastic church and its eastern crypt, the only parts completed before the monks relocated to St Mary's Abbey in York. Also, the original Ainhowe Cross.

Lastingham Church was amazing.

The incredibly ancient chapel of St-Peter-on-the-Wall at Bradwell-on-Sea. Inside these 7th-century walls is a modern altar of three stones, from Iona, Lindisfarne and Lastingham. Perhaps this is how the prehistoric megaliths worked, evoking the thin places from where they came.

Two of Lastingham’s four holy wells. St Cedd’s left, St Ovin’s right.

The ancient door into the crypt of St Mary at Lastingham #NorthYorkshireMoors #History

The earliest parts of the current church of St Mary at Lastingham date back to 1078. There has however, been a stone built church on the site since 725. St Mary’s is famous for it's unique apsidal crypt below.

Oct 26: Feast of Cedd (†664), bishop of the East Saxons. Brother of St Chad and educated at Lindisfarne, he evangelised in Mercia and Essex. He founded monasteries including Lestingeham (Lastingham, Yorkshire), where he died of plague. ©Helge Klaus Rieder

‘Carriage prints’ were once a familiar part of UK rail travel. Displayed above the passenger seats & below the luggage rack, they showed all the wonderful places you could visit by train. This one is of Lastingham, Yorks, by Freda Marston

Oct 26: Feast of Cedd (†664), bishop of the East Saxons. Brother of St Chad and educated at Lindisfarne, he evangelised in Mercia and Essex. He founded monasteries including Lestingeham (Lastingham, Yorkshire) where he died of plague. ©Helge Klaus Rieder

Game Night at the Blacksmiths Arms at Lastingham (YO62 6TN). This will be a great evening showcasing the best locally sourced game from around Yorkshire. Ali is a fantastic chef so book early to get a place. See you there.