St Helen's Church, Yorkshire: Viking Door

This delightful 12th century church is home to a magnificent internationally recognised 850 year old 'viking' wooden door.

St Helen's Church in North Yorkshire was originally built in about 1145, from which time the nave, chancel and south porch survive.

It is likely that this was the entirety of the church at the time; the Victoria County History states that "for its size it was notably well decorated".

The most noted feature of the church is its door, which is at least as old as the church, but generally thought to date from the 10th century, and to have been moved to the church when it was built.

The south west doorway is considered to be one of the finest in England, consisting of five orders, one within the other, each arch supported by nook shafts having ornamental capitals.

The south west door itself (no longer functional but hanging inside the church) has been nationally famous for years.

Its age and history were researched by Messrs PV Addyman and Ian H Goodall in 1975 and the results published in Archaeologia Vol CVI in 1979.

The study confirmed that the door is at least coeval with the initial church building and there is some evidence that it may have been used elsewhere in the 10th century.

Over the centuries, in constant use, the door suffered the vagaries of the weather, as well as from the long recognised practice of nailing public notices to the church door.

Repairs were carried out from time to time. As the last century drew to a close, it became necessary to make choices about the door's future: whereas skilled preservation offered further years of functional existence, conservation presented a static but ultimately longer term solution.

Choosing the latter option, the door was removed to London in 1990, where the necessary conservation work was carried out by the firm of Plowden & Smith.

The Norman door is a monumental treasure enjoyed by many visitors from all over the world.

Its original ironwork includes almost complete C hinges and depictions of an interlocked cross, a ship, a pair of figures, a tree, a horned figure and a single figure.

Inside the church, there is an effigy of a knight, dating from about 1337, and dedicated to Robert of Moreby. There is an alabaster monument to John Acklam, carved in 1613.

One window in the chancel has glass dating from 1520 and restored in 1698, depicting the arms of Stillington impaling Bigod.

Two chancel screens in the Moreby Chapel are said to have been made in 1877, from 17th-century woodwork.

The Chapel of St Anne has panelling dating from about 1650. There are also an organ and three bells, two dating from 1626, and one from 1747.

Today, St Helen's Church is usually open to visitors.

St Helen's Church is on the B1222, on the north bank of the Stillingfleet Beck, about 10 miles south of York.

Viking wooden doors

Viking wooden doors, often referred to as Norse doors, were an essential element of Viking architecture, providing security, insulation, and aesthetics to their dwellings.

These doors were typically made from strong, durable wood such as oak, which was readily available in the regions where Vikings lived and traveled.

Viking doors were usually constructed using vertical planks of wood, often reinforced with horizontal braces or iron straps for added strength and stability.

The planks were typically held together using wooden dowels or iron nails.

Viking doors came in various sizes and shapes, depending on the size of the building and the purpose of the door.

However, they were generally tall and narrow, designed to accommodate the height of the average Viking and discourage unauthorised entry.

Like many aspects of Viking culture, wooden doors held symbolic significance.

They were often adorned with protective runes or symbols believed to ward off evil spirits and protect the inhabitants of the dwelling.

If you’d like to visit, the address is: B1222, Stillingfleet, Yorkshire, England, YO19 6SJ.

If you enjoyed this blog post, please follow Exploring GB on Facebook for daily travel content and inspiration.

Don’t forget to check out our latest blog post below!

Thank you for visiting Exploring GB.