Our History

All Saints Church, Wistow


Wistow Church dates from about 500AD, with the present limestone church from 1213. The exact date when the building was started in unknown but the construction would have carried on for many years.

All Saints Church, Wistow, originated as St. Hilda's Chapel in Danish times and was sited in the churchyard in a bad state of repair in 1484. It is not known where the original chapel stood, but it may have been where the chancel of the present church now stands.

Wistow is mentioned in the old records as a 'peculiar' - a church and parish exempt from the jurisdiction of the Bishop and subject to another authority, probably the Dean and Chapter of York.
In 1216 
In 1216 Archbishop Gray founded a prebend at Wistow; a share of the Cathedral's revenue was paid to a cleric at Wistow who was a canon of the Cathedral and a full member of the Chapter. The Archbishops were Lords of the Manor until 1647 when it was sold to Tempest Milner of Nun Appleton Hall.

The Normans built the present church; the tower was completed in the 15th century. New fashions followed in the architecture of churches and domestic buildings - a much more intricate and elaborate style known as 'decorated'. About 100 years later the tall bell tower was added and became a landmark for centuries to come. At the same time the roof was raised and windows or clerestories introduced.

The furniture has Yorkshire origins. The communion table, the altar and altar rails bear the trademark carved mouse by Robert Thompson of Kilburn. 


Memorials in the church are from the days when the actual burial was inside the church. Many of the gravestones form part of the present floor. As time went on burials took place in the churchyard and only memorial stones were placed inside the church.


There are numerous brass plaques and marble carved memorial stones of former vicars and their spouses, former churchwardens and organists of times gone by inside the church.


One such stone beside the font has links to the dawn of Christianity in this country and is reputed to be 759 - 950 years old. It bears an inscribed cross that resembles coiled serpents, a pagan symbol of wisdom. Pagan symbols continued even after the introduction of Christianity so the priest might have been of St. Hilda's Chapel itself.


Wistow Church stands today with its vast history but it is still used for the purpose for which it was built - the worship of God in the parish of Wistow.

Wistow Methodist Church

Wistow 'Wesleyan' Chapel dates from 1873.

During the year 1873 a total of £683 7s 7d was raised from local people to fund the 'new Wesleyan Chapel'. This replaced the chapel that had been in use from 1803 to 1873.
Another group of Methodists called Primitive Methodists also bought land known as Chapel Field for a new chapel in 1877. The land was never used for this purpose and was resold in 1964.

We also know that J.Wesley made six visits to the Selby area and he preached in 'Wesley's Field' at Wistow.

An initial way of providing funds for the chapel was by the members paying to 'rent a seat'. In 1884 this brought in £11 17s 6d. 

A Sunday School and Band of Hope was quickly set up during the 1890s as was a Ladies' Sewing Committee in 1900.
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