St Helens Church which is the Parish Church for the thriving villages of Amotherby, Swinton and Broughton near Malton is a Grade II listed building and part of the Street Benefice that follows the ancient Roman road from Malton to Hovingham.
Earliest ecclesiastical records go back to 1218 when the church was gifted to St Alban’s Abbey. Victorian excavations to extend the church in1872 exposed an Anglo Danish grave slab, dating between 900 – 1000 ad which now rests in the church porch.
The extension and upgrade of 1872 has given the church a rich Victorian interior, with much of the carvings to the end of the pews undertaken by the then Rector Rev’d Peach.
The Victorian roof drainage system had failed allowing standing water to accumulate along the north wall of the building causing the wall to bulge. Movement to the north wall has caused displacement of the roof impacting damage to the arch above our organ and two of the glazed windows. It was essential along with addressing the structural issues that an effective soak away was reinstated to safely disperse standing water from the roof that had caused the problems.
Yorkshire historic churches grant of £6,000 has been an integral part of enabling the church to address these long standing issues, and securing it for future generations.
Wendy Wilson, Churchwarden at St Helen’s Church, Amotherby, near Malton, who went through the application process, said: “We were most grateful for the support we received from the Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust for our fundraising efforts. We found the application process straightforward, with lots of useful guidance on the website. The £6,000 we received has been an integral part of enabling us to address the long-standing issues we had at the church and securing it for future generations.”
Work underway within the church.