Churches and Chapels across Yorkshire throwing open their doors for ‘Yorkshire Churches Day’

St Andrew's Church, Alderborough Hundreds of places of worship across the region are gearing up to welcome visitors for Yorkshire Churches Day, taking place on Saturday 14 September. Yorkshire’s churches are treasure troves full of amazing history and heritage and Yorkshire Churches Day is a chance encourage visitors both new and old to discover what’s behind their doors.

Churches from all corners of the County will be opening up, offering tours, refreshments, music, exhibitions and treasure hunts for visitors to enjoy. Many are joining together to put on trails between a number of churches for those looking for a fun day out.

The event is organised by the Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust, which gives grants for the repair, maintenance and restoration of places of worship across the region.

The Rt Rev Nick Baines, Bishop of Leeds said of the event: “I encourage all churches to participate in this great initiative. Church buildings are not just buildings, but places of worship, community, history, education, contemplation, and so on. They tell a story of previous generations and the life of these places that has changes so much over the years. I used to walk and cycle on this day when I was a vicar in Leicestershire, taking a group of people with me. Please engage with it and take your family and friends for a day out.”

St Helen’s Church, Amotherby © Pinnacle ConservationThe event has also been warmly welcomed by Stephen Cottrell, the Archbishop of York and President of the YHCT: “Yorkshire Churches Day is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate our county’s churches. At the heart of nearly every one of our communities is a church. They are there to serve and welcome everyone. However you choose to engage with these wonderful buildings, remember, they are not merely places of heritage and history, but vibrant centres of worship and community serving Yorkshire today.”

The event is being sponsored by Pinnacle Conservation, heritage conservation specialists. MD Adam Hickey said:

“Pinnacle are delighted to be the headline sponsor for this year’s Yorkshire Churches Day on Saturday 14th September for Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust. Yorkshire Churches Day is a chance for every place of worship in the country to open up and showcase the amazing history and heritage found inside their buildings. A day to tell stories and bring to life the variety, beauty, history and sheer wonder of Yorkshire's churches, chapels, and places of worship. The Pinnacle team will be on-site at our recent project St Helens Church in Amotherby - Pop along and say hello.” 

Full details of the event, including a comprehensive list of churches opening up and the trails that are being developed, can be found at the YHCT website www.yhct.org.uk/yorkshire-churches-day.

YCD is being run in conjunction with the Heritage Open Days initiative, with numerous places of worship opening up for the duration of the festival from 6 – 15 September. Details can be found at Heritage Open Days