St Mary's Church, Lead, North Yorkshire

Address:
Lead, Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, LS24 9QN
How to find us | Access information
Opening times:
Open daily from 10am - 4pm. For further information please contact Mark Sproat via email [email protected]
  • The church today is a simple structure of one room with simple benches which may date to the late medieval period.  © Graham White
  • © Graham White
  • The three-decker pulpit dates to the eighteenth century, with levels for the parish clerk, the reader and the minister. © Graham White
  • Tiny St Mary's stands alone in a field and dates to the 11th century, though there may have been an earlier church on the site. © Graham White
  • Since being rescued by a group of walkers in 1931, St Mary's has been known as the Ramblers' Church, and is popular with walkers. © Graham White
  • St Mary's has a rare stone altar and cross slab, which were banished from English churches during the Reformation. © Graham White
  • A small piece of stained glass in the east window records this generous gift of the Richard III Society in 1982. © Graham White
  • On Palm Sunday 1461, the Battle of Towton was fought nearby, reportedly one of the bloodiest battles fought on English soil. © Graham White
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The Ramblers' Church

Since being rescued by a group of walkers in 1931, St Mary's has been known as the Ramblers' Church. The repairs made then are recorded on the back of the church door.

The church stands alone in the middle of a field filled with the bumps and furrows of earthworks that indicate the site of a medieval manor house, for which St Mary's was probably originally the chapel. Nearby is Towton, the site of the War of the Roses battle, believed to be bloodiest in English history and which brought the Wars of the Roses to an end in 1461. Ten thousand men are said to have been killed and Cock Beck, the little stream which you cross to get to St Mary's, is said to have run red with blood. You can also find monuments to crusading knights in this tiny fourteenth-century church.

Despite its awesome history, St Mary's is a peaceful place. The tiny rectangular building is very simple. It was probably built by the Tyas family, whose massive grave slabs are set into the floor. Carved with heraldic symbols and inscriptions, and dating from the thirteenth century, they are an important and interesting collection. Later additions were made in the  eighteenth century, with a rustic pulpit, clerk's pew, reading desk and painted texts.

Our churches cost on average, £2500 per year, to keep them clean, conservation work, maintenance checks and in a safe condition for visitors to come and enjoy.

Please help us to keep our churches open by donating a gift of £5 or £10 by texting the numbers below or visit our donation page here

Text LED to 70970 to give £5

Text LED to 70191 to give £10

Your generous donation will help us to protect a beautiful part of local and national heritage. Thank you!

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