This church is in such a beautiful location it’s almost worth visiting just to enjoy the peaceful, riverside ambience and stunning views. But of course the church is well worth visiting as well, and the first thing that I liked was the almost “no nonsense” sort of appearance, with its wide, functional and rustic porch and simple little bell tower. There is great history here, but as other reviewers have outlined the general history of the church there is no need for me to repeat it. Probably the most notable and important feature of the church however is the standing octagonal font which dates from 1275 and is still in use today. It is considered possible that this font used to have similar carvings on the sides as the ones on the celebrated font at St Michael’s in Bridekirk, and as they are of a similar age and not very far apart that is entirely feasible. I also liked the Chancel Arch, which is Norman, although the later repair works detract somewhat from the overall appearance. My favourite things however were the lancer windows on the north wall. As one would expect, they look almost insignificant when viewed from the outside, but the craftsmanship of the stonework on the inside is quite beautiful.

Situated beside the River Derwent, close to the grounds of Isel Hall, this church dates from around 1130AD. Two Norman arches survive, in addition to four Norman windows. The oddities that have also endured from the past include an early stone staircase ambiguously set in the wall below an early window near the pulpit, what was it for? Several historical wall plaques, table and chest tombs can be found inside and four intriguing sundials are carved into the outside wall. The pre Conquest name of St Michael, and fragments of crosses on display inside the church, indicate the presence of a church on this site before Norman times. Here, by the River Derwent (the river of oak trees), not far from the Roman fort of Derventio at Papcastle, a village community worked and worshiped under the influence of the Christian ethic until the arrival of the Normans.