Photos through the decades reveal county’s spiritual past
As Easter passes and many reflect on the role of churches in community life, this month’s archives feature offers a window into some of North Yorkshire’s most striking and varied places of worship - from grand cathedrals to picturesque chapels.
Captured in stunning black and white by photographers such as Bertram Unné, these historic images transport us back in time, showing churches not only as buildings of faith but also as focal points of everyday life.
In Richmond’s bustling marketplace, Trinity Church rises with quiet confidence. Over in Topcliffe, St Columba’s Church keeps watch beside the River Swale. On the green at Catterick, a cricket match plays out with St Anne’s Church standing in the background - a gentle reminder of how closely places of worship are woven into the fabric of rural communities.
At Wighill, near Tadcaster, a photograph from 1914 shows children balanced on a fallen log outside All Saints’ Church - a simple, joyful moment that speaks about how the religious building holds a special place in childhood memories and village life.
Other images in the collection reveal remarkable stories. In Kirkby Malzeard, the return of the church bells after a fire in 1908 marked a poignant chapter in the community’s resilience. Meanwhile, the tiny St Andrew’s Church in Upleatham, built in 1684, stands at just 18 feet by 15 feet - thought to be the smallest church in the former North Riding.
Further afield, a temperance gathering at Albemarle Baptist Church in Scarborough from 1889, and photographs of Ripon Cathedral, Danby Methodist Church, and South Cliff Congregational Church illustrate the sheer range of architectural and religious traditions across the region.
A particularly timely gem is the 1752 baptism record at St Akelda’s Church in Middleham, noting the birth of a child named Easter Metcalf in a beautiful echo of the season.
To explore more of these treasured records or to delve deeper into the stories behind the buildings, visit the North Yorkshire Archives blog.
If you enjoy the images from the archives, there is a free open evening, called Treasures of the Archives: Celebrating 75 years of Archives in North Yorkshire. The event will be held on Thursday 22 May from 5pm until 8.30pm at North Yorkshire Archives, Malpas Road, Northallerton DL7 8TB.
North Yorkshire Archives holds thousands of historic photos – you can browse the collection through the online shop here.
Children on a log outside All Saints’ Church, Wighill, near Tadcaster, in 1914.
Trinity Church in Richmond’s Marketplace. From the Bertram Unné photographic collection.
Is this the smallest church in the North Riding? St Andrew’s Church in Upleatham was built in 1684 and measures just 18ft by 15ft. From the Bertram Unné photographic collection.
Temperance gathering at Albemarle Baptist Church in Scarborough in 1889.
The River Swale at Topcliffe, with St Columba’s church in the background. From the Bertram Unné photographic collection.
Ripon Cathedral on the city’s Kirkgate. From the Bertram Unné photographic collection.
South Cliff Congregational Church on Ramshill Road in Scarborough.
Kirkby Malzeard’s church bells are pictured being returned, following a fire in 1908. This image is part of the Ripon Re-Viewed collection created by Ripon Civic Society and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF).
A view of the Methodist church and manse at Danby in Cleveland.
Strolling through the ruins at Coverham Abbey. From the Bertram Unné photographic collection.
A cricket match on Catterick’s village green, with St Anne’s church in the background. From the Bertram Unné photographic collection.
Sketch of the Friends’ (Quaker) Meeting House at Preston Patrick in Cumbria, circa 1868. From Thomas Lord’s collection.
An historic plan of Buttercrambe church. From the Darley of Aldby archive.
Entry in the baptism register for St Akelda’s church, Middleham, of Easter Metcalf, the daughter of John and Margaret Metcalf, on 29 March, 1752.