Thank you to all who took part – watch this space for details of next year’s event!
St Saviour’s Church, Brownhill welcome visitors to their church
St Aelred Pilgrim Trail (c) Valerie Mather Heritage Walk from St Stephen’s Lindley
Open up and tell your story
Yorkshire Churches Day (YCD) is a chance for every place of worship in the county to open up and showcase the amazing history and heritage found inside their buildings.
A day to tell stories and bring to life the variety, beauty, history and sheer wonder of Yorkshire’s churches, chapels and places of worship. The aim of the day is to encourage everyone to visit their local church even if they have never stepped foot inside a church before. It will be a day for those who are curious about history and heritage of their local surroundings.
Once again we are teaming up with the Heritage Open Days Festival which runs from 12 -21 September and features hundreds of events to celebrate England’s fantastic history and culture. It’s your chance to see hidden places and try out new experiences – all of which are FREE to explore
One of the key highlights of this year’s Yorkshire Churches Day will be a series of specially designed ‘pilgrimage’ trails – walks that link places of worship for visitors to explore, each offering a range of refreshments, exhibitions and displays. From scenic strolls through the picturesque landscape of the East Moors to the historical wonders of the deserted medieval villages of East Yorkshire, this event showcases the deep-rooted history and of Yorkshire’s church history and heritage.
- Deserted Medieval Villages of East Yorkshire – exploring churches in Wharram Percy, Cowlam, Cottam and Langtoft.
A particularly unique offering this year is the Deserted Medieval Villages of East Yorkshire Walk, which brings visitors through ancient, semi-ruined sites, where history and nature intertwine. Walkers will visit churches in the abandoned villages of Wharram Percy, Cowlam, Cottam, and Langtoft. These churches, once at the heart of village life, tell the stories of communities long gone.
More details of the route, map and driving instructions can be found here:
- Fountains Ways – Ancient Paths for Modern Pilgrims
The Abbots’ Way’ , part of the Fountains Ways walks, aims to get people out walking in the glorious Nidderdale area, visiting four beautiful rural churches located in the Fountains Benefice – including William Burges’ famous St Mary’s, Studley Royal, by Fountains Abbey – and enjoying good local hospitality. Starting and finishing at Sawley, nr Ripon this 9 mile route takes in St Michael and All Angels, St Mary’s Studley Royal, St Cuthbert and St Oswald, Winksley and St Lawrence, Aldfield.
Full details of the route can be found below:
- Sykes Trail churches
This year we are promoting some of the churches in the East Riding featured in the Sykes Churches (Northern Trail).
Sir Tatton Sykes, 5th baronet (1826-1913) of Sledmere succeeded to his 36,000 acre estate in the East Riding of Yorkshire in 1863. He continued the work of his father, the 4th baronet, who had begun to restore the churches of the Yorkshire Wolds. Between 1866 and his death in 1913, Tatton Sykes restored 17 rural churches, working with some of the leading church architects, including G.E. Street, Temple Moore and C. Hodgson Fowler and ecclesiastical artists of the day.
More details on the route, map and driving instructions can be found here:
https://www.eychurches.org.uk/index.php/our-leaflets/96-sykes-churches-trail-northern-route
- Friendship Walk – Exploring the Churches of Temple Moore
For those looking for a blend of history, beauty, and culture, the Friendship Walk offers a delightful journey from East Moors to Rievaulx, and finishing at Helmsley, visiting three of the works of renowned architect Temple Moore, whose churches dot the landscape with striking designs.
For more details, click here: https://www.saintaelredspilgrimtrail.com/petal-walks
Head to the St Aelred’s Pilgrim Trail website for details on a range of walking routes – there is something for everyone with distances ranging from 3 miles to 41 miles – including an accessible route for disabled ramblers.
click here for further details
Why not visit St Stephen’s Church, Lindley as part of Yorkshire Churches Day: Try Your Hand at Sketching in a Stunning Historic Setting.
https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/submission-event/st-stephen-s-church-lindley-1.html
Sketches of St Stephen’s by local artist Vanessa Stewart
OPEN CHURCHES
Whether you are a history lover, a spiritual seeker or simply looking for an interesting day out, Yorkshire Churches Day on Saturday 13 September is a chance for people of all ages, backgrounds, and interests to explore the region’s places of worship and celebrate their rich architectural and cultural heritage.
Check the list of open churches to choose places to explore:
Get involved
If your church is opening for Yorkshire Churches Day, do let us know at generalenquiries@yhct.org.uk
First step – Register…
Register your event on the Heritage Open Days website, stating you are opening for YCD with the words “As part of Heritage Open Days we are opening our lovely church/chapel (delete as required) on Yorkshire Churches Day, September 13th. Come and explore our history and treasures” – and use the logo on the right
Ideas…
Although as part of the HOD remit, entry to your event must be free, there are many ways you can engage your visitors and encourage donations.
Ideas include:
Provide refreshments, run tours, stage exhibitions, offer bell ringing, put on recitals, offer skills/craft demonstrations, provide eye spy sheets for children, set up treasure hunts, seeds/book swaps, flower demonstrations, holding a teddy bears picnic – there are so many possibilities.
Publicising your event
Publicising your event is really important, let us know your plans and we will add your details to the list of participating which will drive visitors on the day.
- Registration: https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/get-involved/how-to-get-involved.html
- Event preparation and publicity: https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/news-resources/content-hub.html?searchQuery=bunting&sortBy=relevance&information_type=organiser-resource
Click here to download a poster allowing visitors to donate to the YHCT and add details to the poster to display in your church
More advice on the use of social media, local papers and local radio to promote your event can be found here:
Use the YCD logo on your HOD entry and any publicity you are producing:
5 good reasons to take part:
- Attract new audiences to your church
- Engage with the local community and make strong local connections
- Showcase the history and heritage of your church
- Bring in funds
- Meet and inspire potential new volunteers
Support us
Yorkshire’s places of worship need your help
It was during lockdown that the Trustees of the YHCT came up with the concept of a ‘Yorkshire Churches Day’. The day is an opportunity to raise much needed funds for places of worship in Yorkshire. The future of many churches is under threat due to crumbling roofs, windows and stonework. The YHCT works to ensure these places of worship are kept in good repair, recognising the contribution they make to society at large and the support they provide to local communities.
If you are visiting a participating church, please do consider becoming a Friend of the Trust – you will be joining a group of like minded people, passionate about preserving and maintaining places of worship and helping secure their future.
If you are opening up your place of worship, although entry must be free, we have suggested many fundraising ideas and ways to encourage donations. By taking part in Yorkshire Churches Day, you are helping all places of worship in Yorkshire as well as your own church. We’d encourage you to split any funds raised to the Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust, to help us continue to offer vital support to churches, chapels and meeting houses across Yorkshire. Do also consider joining as a Friend, you can see a list of all those places of worship that currently support us here:
Open Churches
Click below to see the churches in Yorshire that will be open and welcoming visitors on Saturday 13 September:
Do let us know if you plan to open and we’ll add you to the list
For inspiration and ideas of interesting days out visiting some of the best church heritage in the UK, check out the Explore Churches website .https://www.nationalchurchestrust.org/explore