On our way to Durham we diverted to the village of Escomb to visit its ancient church. Tipped off by some friends, we have had this church in our sights for some time. In fact, built in AD675, this is the earliest complete church in England.
It has been derelict many times during its long history and most recently was restored and re-roofed in 1965. Today it stands tall, surrounded incongruously by modern houses but, once inside, you would never know.
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| Church from the south |
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| The sundial probably pre-dates the church |
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| Tiny Saxon windows |
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| The ‘new’ sundial above the porch is 17th century |
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| The church is particularly high |
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| There are stone carvings everywhere |
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| This cross sits behind the altar |
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| Carving of the tree of life near the altar |
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| The earliest dated grave stone, 1628 |
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| A much earlier medieval grave stone, probably about 1200 |