St John the Baptist, Kirk Hammerton

As you approach the little town of Kirk Hammerton just 20 minutes outside of York on the A59, you will notice a strange road sign declaring the "Ancient Church" is that-a-way. If you follow that sign, you will come across the Church of St John the Baptist.

I know what you're thinking. It doesn't look like much, does it? How about if I tell you that the part pictured was built sometime between 950 and 1070? Does that change your opinion? No? Well, worth a shot. The church at Kirk Hammerton is the most complete surviving Anglo-Saxon church. And, ok, technically if it was built after 1066 it becomes "Romanesque" or "Norman," but a) we don't have a firm date for its construction and b) archaeologists will tell you it is style that matters more than date, and this is most definitely NOT Romanesque. Short, squat and big heavy stonework screams Anglo-Saxon. Plus, we're in the North, and the North most certainly did not fall under Norman sway until after 1070, when William the Conqueror came and burned and ravaged everything in a fit of pique because the Northerners didn't want him to be king. We Northerners are independent types, y'know. Like the Scots, but less so because we're less far north. Wiki "Harrying of the North" for more info.

St John's survived because instead of dismantling it for the stone and rebuilding, the locals kept the tower and chancel essentially intact and just took off the left outer wall and then built additions to the left; now there is a new, bigger chancel and the Anglo-Saxon part has been converted into a side aisle and a lady chapel, while beyond the new chancel is another added aisle to make everything balanced.

Here's a look from the inside. I'm standing in the new(er) chancel (additions began as early as the 1100s, but the modern incarnation is Victorian) looking towards the Anglo-Saxon aisle. You can see where they've ripped off the wall and replaced it with later arches and columns.You can also probably see this was part of a CMS field trip :) Hooray for fellow medieval dorks!

Here's the inside of the modern lady chapel. The windows and paintings are all later additions (although the stained glass is 14th century I believe. That's kinda old...) Once upon a time, this is where the mass would have been celebrated in a teensy tiny baby church, while the church attendees sat in the nave, the area pictured above.

So if you're driving down a random road in the UK and you see a random intriguing sign like "Ancient Church," why not stop and check it out? What you find might surprise you! And I can attest to this, having roadtripped through Scotland/Northern England and found several fun oddities.