St Alkelda Church Gigglewick

From earliest times until the the 19th century when the parishes of Stainforth, Settle, Rathmell and Langcliffe were formed, the ancient ecclesiastical parish of Giggleswick covered an area of nearly 30 square miles, from Stainforth in the north to Rathmell in the south. The history of the glorious mellow church in the centre of Giggleswick village spans over 1000 years. The present building dates mostly from the 15th century, but carved stones discovered during the restoration of 1890-2 indicated that a building existed on the site before the Norman Conquest. Certainly, both the exterior and interior of the church and its tranquil, beautiful setting convey to regular worshippers and visitors alike an atmosphere of prayer and worship rooted i