As part of the kind donation of historical data from Margaret Burns we have now included a detailed history of St Helen’s church.
Originating from Saxon times you may or may not be surprised at the amount of rebuilding, extension, repair and hidden burial vaults the church contains.
The church of St. Helen at Burghwallis is notable for the unique combination of large quoins with ‘herring-bone’ style masonry in the walls. Although no church was mentioned in the ‘Domesday Survey’ of 1086 there are several features that point to a pre-Conquest origin for the foundation. “The megalithic side-alternate quoins … are an … indication of pre-Conquest work but do not allow a more specific dating. … The Taylors class it of Saxon period ‘C’ (950-1100 AD) on the evidence of its simple plan, plain square plinth, quoins and wall thickness.”