Christ Church
Appleton le Moors, Yorkshire
Appleton le Moors is in the North York Moors National Park, and Christ Church certainly lives up to its description as 'the little gem of moorland churches'.
Basically a late Saxon church, it was built in 1065 and probably included a chancel (not all Anglo Saxon parish churches did). Saxon stone crosses are built into the remaining original walls.
The church is most famous for its fine and very rare Anglo Saxon sundial, set in the wall above the south doorway and under cover of the 18th century porch. Because it was covered by a coating of plaster for several centuries before 1771 and then protected by the porch, it is very well preserved. The Old English inscriptions on the sundial tell us a great deal about when, why and by whom it was built, and recent excavations date the site back to about 750 or perhaps earlier.
Major restoration and rebuilding took place in the 19th century, but the essential Anglo Saxon character of the church has been preserved.
