The successful completion of the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which supported “Walking through the centuries with a Legless Knight” project at St Helen’s Church, Escrick, was celebrated with a day of varied activities and thanksgiving.
The project has seen St Helen’s conserved and reordered for a sustainable future and a heritage hub created, bringing to life the interwoven 800 year story of Escrick estate, village and church.
Events included a Service of Thanksgiving, led by the Bishop of Selby, Rt Rev’d Dr John Thomson and the rector of St Helen’s, Rev’d Richard Kirkman, and was followed by a buffet lunch, children’s activities and tours of the conservation and reordering works.
In the afternoon the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, gave an inspirational talk before visitors enjoyed a musical performance by the Tuesday Singers and a presentation of the revived Escrick Longsword Dance by the Ebor Morris with the Escrick Sword Dance Team.
Made possible by the £471,000 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the project has enabled the installation of new lighting, heating, servery and audio visual equipment, as well as cleaned and conserved stonework, memorials and glass. A new outer door has also been installed and the baptistery, vestry and north aisle reordered.
The church’s two most important effigies have been restored and repositioned to great effect. The c1300 effigy of a knight, the inspiration for the project title, is now positioned on a new plinth in the baptistery.
A second new plinth has been created for the notable 19th century effigy of the elderly Caroline, Lady Wenlock, carved by Count Gleichen, Queen Vistoria’s cousin. This is now restored to its original location between the nave and the north aisle, from whence it had been moved, badly damaged after the church fire of 1923.
The creation of a heritage hub has been a most important part of the project and has already generated great interest, around thirty new volunteers, the creation of an Escrick community archive, heritage trail, stained glass and stone carving workshops, a talk on the circa seventh century Escrick Ring – found locally – the revival of the Escrick Longsword Dance, and a Memory CafĂ©. A whole range of new literature, interpretation panels for use in the church and around the village, display banners and a new website: www.escrickheritge.org have been created.
Commenting on the Day of Celebration, Project Team Leader and Churchwarden, Caroline Wandless, said:“It has been wonderful to welcome everyone to the Day of Celebration and to show what has been achieved through the hard work and dedication of so many people, professionals and volunteers, and the faith of our crucial backers, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Friends of St Helen’s and others who have made valuable contributions.All this work and enthusiasm gives us great momentum to build on for the future.”