St Helen’s Church, Stillingfleet: This Yorkshire church has a famous Viking door - but now attention is turning to its roof

The Viking door is remarkably preserved, considering they have survived nearly 900 years of exposure to the Yorkshire winds and rain. The decorations include a ‘Tree of Life design’ and a fabulous beast with foliage coming from its mouth.

Volunteers and staff at the church are already having to make many additional checks when the building is used to stop debris falling on visitors.

However, now the North Yorkshire church has been granted £20,000 from the National Churches Trust for urgent repairs and £8,681 from the Wolfson Foundation.

Church warden Jennifer Bartram said: "As a supporter of this beautiful and historic church for the past 35 years, I, like many local families, have seen generations of my loved ones christened, married, and laid to rest here.

"For us, St Helen’s is far more than a magnificent historic building—it is the very heart of our village. It is where we gather to celebrate life’s greatest joys, mourn our deepest sorrows, and find a quiet sanctuary of peace and reflection when life becomes difficult.

"This vital investment will not only protect the North Aisle, keeping it waterproof and in good repair, but it will also safeguard two exquisite mid-20th-century stained glass windows by a renowned glazier.

"Looking to the future, we hope to develop this space into a Family Corner, creating a welcoming area for children and families—the future of our congregation. This will ensure that new generations can continue to experience both the peace and joy of this cherished and ancient place."

As well as being able to trace its history back centuries upon centuries, St Helen’s is also an important building for the community – open 365 days of the year.

The church hosts concerts, choirs, fashion shows and flower festivals. A local history group uses it for displays recording the role of past residents during war times and other groups, such as the Women’s Insitute, come on tours of the building to examine the architecture and monuments.

Fixing the church preserves not only the heritage of this important building but also ensures that the community and congregation can also continue to use this building to the benefit of all.

The grant will help fix the roof; this includes replacing the tiles with terne-coated stainless steel to create a similar appearance the original lead covering without the risk of theft and inserting copper strips underneath to prevent moss growth.