Mappleton, All Saints Church

Mappleton, All Saints Church

The church of All Saints at Mappleton stands just inland from the sea. It is an essentially Victorian church, with a striking steeple built of stone salvaged from a shipwreck. The church was roofless in 1854 when a ship bearing a load of Tadcaster stone north ran aground at Mappleton.

The people of Mappleton were not slow to seize upon the bounty of the sea and completed the roof and spire with the stone flotsam.

The first historical record of a church at Mappleton comes in 1149 when King Stephen granted it to the Abbey of Albermarle. Almost the entire medieval church was rebuilt in 1855, though a section of the north chancel wall was retained.

The medieval font

Near the entrance is an octagonal 15th-century font bearing the arms of the St Quintin and Fitzhugh families.

In the north aisle is a large table tomb of the Brough family, who held Rolston Hall for over 200 years, from 1570-1780. On top of the tomb is the top section of the spire, taken down in 2002.

Most of the stained glass is modern, as much of the original glass was destroyed by German bombs in WWII.