Most of the present church dates back to the 13th and 14th centuries, but there is evidence of much earlier stonework in the building. The church also contains much Victorian stained glass. It has two fonts – one inside the church and one (supposedly Saxon) outside the church!
All Saints Church in Rudston sits in the grounds of the famous Rudston Standing Stone, this alone clearly points to the area being of ritual use thousands of years before this Norman church was erected.
Rudston is England’s tallest Standing Stone and it’s presence gave the name to the village that it’s located in. It’s presumed to be of Neolithic origin. It’s just over 25ft high.
Whilst the current church lacks much in the way of indications of ancient origins, it’s entry porch boasts a wealth of 12c carved stones and is definitely worth a visit.
The church at Stanwick sits very close to the original centre of the Iron Age fort. It’s churchyard seems to respect a more ancient ritual use and it’s siting in conjunction with not only Mary Wild Beck but also the Sacred Spring in at the front of this church and it’s 10th century origins indicate this site was a focal point for ritual activity right back to the Iron Age and before.
The fort at Piercebridge guarded access to the Main north-south crossing of the River Tees in Roman times, a sizeable vicus grew up on it’s eastern side towards the earliest crossing point.
The Roman road from York to the North of England crossed the river Tees at this point. Portions of masonry that where interpreted as a Roman bridge were found in 1972 in advance of gravel quarrying.
St Michael’s Church at Kirklington stems from prior to the Norman Period and has ghosts of an even earlier period in the form of the various carved heads found inside and outside the church.
The horse was dated to between 1400 – 600 BC by the Oxford University Reasearch Unit in 1995 using optical stimulated luminescence dating, it age is probably late Bronze Age.
