The solitary Chapel of St. Mary of Lead and the bloody battle it witnessed

Christianity arrived in Britain at the end of the 6th century, with the mission of St. Augustine of Canterbury to the Kingdom of Kent.

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As a result, England has many very old churches. Many of them date back to the medieval period, such as the solitary church that now belongs to the Anglican Church: St. Mary's Chapel in Lead, located west of Saxton in North Yorkshire, one of the largest counties in the country, situated in the north of England.

The exact origin of this chapel is unknown. Some sources place it in the 12th century, while others suggest the 14th. One known fact is that it was built by the Tyas family, several of whose members are buried on this site. One of the most unusual features of this church is its location in the countryside, an unusual spot for a church (they were typically built in a town or city). Because of this, many know it as the "Lone Church."

Churches Conservation Trust of the Anglican Church notes about this chapel: "The church stands alone in the middle of a field filled with the bumps and furrows of earthworks that indicate the site of a medieval manor house, for which St Mary's was probably originally the chapel." When a building has so many years of history, it is assumed to have seen everything, but in the case of this church, it witnessed one of the greatest horrors in the history of England.

The same source states the following about this chapel: "Nearby is Towton, the site of the War of the Roses battle, believed to be bloodiest in English history and which brought the Wars of the Roses to an end in 1461. Ten thousand men are said to have been killed and Cock Beck, the little stream which you cross to get to St Mary's, is said to have run red with blood."

The website bitaboutbritain.com notes that the chapel was in a state of complete disrepair by the end of the 16th century, and was repaired in 1784, almost two centuries later. Its isolated location certainly didn't help, because by the 20th century the church was already in ruins when a group of hikers found it in 1931. They undertook its restoration, and in 1931 the then Anglican Bishop of Whitby, Henry Woollcombe, reopened it.

In 1980, a volunteer group called Friends of Lead Church was formed, founded by Lady Jessie Clegg, which has since been responsible for the conservation of this church, in collaboration with the Churches Conservation Trust. Today it is well preserved, but in complete isolation. Its wooden pews are of medieval origin, as are the baptismal font and the gravestones of the five tombs in the floor.

Of course, given that it's an old building in England and a bloody battle took place nearby, it's no surprise that some people associate the place with ghost stories, perhaps heightened by its solitude and the silence that reigns there. If you're not afraid of such tales and ever want to visit, you can see its location here. But if you're too far away, you can see it without leaving home in this video posted by AdventureMe a few weeks ago:

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Main image: AdventureMe.