St Gregory's Minster (Continued)

**ST1** · 10th February 2020, 08:34 PM

I hope you are all OK with me creating two threads about the same venue and I'm not boring you?

Following on from my previous thread on this wonderful little building. I have on many occasions passed the road end that leads to St Gregory's Minster, though I had never visited it before.

The church is a fair distance from the nearest habitation, however that may not have been true when it was first built, it is a very peaceful location. The road/track to it, does not go beyond it, so any visitors have made the decision to visit rather than noticing it on passing IYSWIM.

#1 The porch plaque detailing the sundial engravings.

#2 The porch interior with the sundial above the doorway. Propped up in the porch are two grave markers dating from the 9th Century it is believed that they probably belonged to someone of great status and prestige.

#3 The Sundial. The centre portion with the sundial has an inscription which translates as “This is the day’s sun-marker at every hour”. On either side are carved inscriptions in Old English which give information about the foundation of the church telling that it was rebuilt by Orm Gamelson, replacing an earlier church, during the period when Tostig was Earl of Northumbria, 1055-1065.

#4 A Norman style Priest’s door complete with a "Sanctuary Knocker". Apparently those who ‘had committed a great offence, such as murder in self-defence or breaking out of prison, could rap the knocker, and would be given 37 days of sanctuary within the church which they could try to reconcile with their enemies or plan their escape. Don't try it now though as by 1623, the laws permitting church sanctuary had been overturned by parliament.