Hickleton’s architectural gem awarded much needed funding

One of the churches to receive funding is St Wilfrid at Hickleton near Doncaster, a Grade I listed church dating back to the Norman times, home to a wealth of history and fascinating stories. The YHCT were delighted to award £3,500 towards the conservation of the reredos and organ casing.There are various coats of arms which represent the families connected with Hickleton. There is some beautiful glass, including two medallions thought to be 17th century. Large quantities of 13th painted window glass was found during an excavation in 1983 excavations.The church was lavishly furnished at the expense of the Halifax family in the Victorian era with more stained glass placed there in 1886 and 1887, the gift of the second Viscount Halifax.The church is famous for its lychgate, and the three skulls displayed there, as well as for an extensive collection of European religious art and statutory.Andrew Hainey, church warden from St Wilfrid said: “We were delighted to receive this grant from the YHCT to help with conservation works. St Wilfrid’s is an ancient parish church, with many interesting features and well worth a visit. It is one of only a handful of churches in England to have been fully refurbished by Bodley and still be intact as he designed, beautifying our transition of Anglo-Catholic Worship. There is a great love of his design and craftsmanship within the parish and the restoration and conservation is an ongoing joyous obligation.”Tom Ramsden, chairman of the YHCT said: “As well as being a place of worship, many of Yorkshire’s churches and chapels provide much needed support services to the local community. Many parishes face severe challenges in keeping their buildings open and in good repair, but thanks to the generosity of our friends and donors, we are delighted to be able to help preserve these much loved historic buildings and help secure their future”.In 2022 the YHCT were able to award £93,000 to 24 places of worship across Yorkshire. Grants continue to be available for urgent repairs, restoration and maintenance to churches of any Christian denomination, including feasibility studies to help churches develop longer term projects.Details of the other churches receiving funding can be found on the YHCT website here: https://www.yhct.org.uk/latest-grant-april/As well as providing funding, the YHCT is keen to help places of worship showcase the history and heritage found inside their buildings. They are running Yorkshire Churches Day on Saturday 16 September, and hope as many churches as possible will throw open their doors to visitors, even if they have never stepped foot inside a church before, so they can see the variety, beauty, history and sheer wonder of Yorkshire’s churches, chapels and places of worship.Check out the website www.yhct.org.uk to find out more about Yorkshire Churches Day and how you can support the work of the Trust.The full list of churches receiving funding can be found here. https://www.yhct.org.uk/latest-grant-april/