Church Of St John The Baptist

The Church of St John the Baptist is a Grade I listed building located in Kirk Hammerton. It dates back to the 11th century, with alterations and additions made in the early 13th century, 1834, and between 1890 and 1891 by Mr. H. Fowler of Durham for E.W. Stanyforth of Kirk Hammerton Hall. The earliest part of the church is constructed from large squared gritstone blocks and features a stone slate roof, while the 19th-century addition is made of coursed gritstone with a tile roof.

The church has an aisled three-bay nave with a southwest tower and a two-bay chancel that includes a north vestry. The Anglo-Saxon tower consists of two stages and has two round-headed-light belfry windows with colonettes, along with a plain projecting band below the window level and a shallow pyramidal roof. The nave features a south aisle, which was formerly the Anglo-Saxon chancel and nave, and includes a round-headed doorway with a projecting band and imposts. There is a two-light window in the first cell and two lancet windows in the second cell, along with a three-light Perpendicular-style east window.

The 1890-91 additions include a north aisle with two-light windows, a four-light west window in the nave, and a four-light chancel window, all designed in the Perpendicular style. Inside, the south arcade features early 13th-century columns and shallow pointed arches, while the north arcade has two octagonal pillars. The east end of the south aisle, which was the Anglo-Saxon chancel, contains early English sedilia and a piscina. The walls and arch-braced roof of the late 19th-century sections are richly painted. The restoration was advised by the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, which was founded in 1877. The Anglo-Saxon church has been extensively documented in various publications.