Historic abbey awarded £1m cash boost for repairs

A Grade I listed abbey dating back to 1069 has been given a £1m grant for major repairs and to help tell the "largely untold stories" of its medieval origin.

Selby Abbey, a former Benedictine monastery, is one of eight places of worship in Yorkshire to have received funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund in the last six months.

As part of the project, the stained-glass St Germain Window in the North Transept will undergo restoration and a number of community events will take place.

The abbey's vicar, the Rev Canon John Weetman, said: "With the help of the National Lottery Heritage Fund we will be able to ensure that this wonderful abbey is preserved for future generations to enjoy."

Originally a wooden complex, the abbey was rebuilt in the Romanesque style and has been extended and reconstructed over the centuries following instances of structural collapse and fire.

Since the dissolution of the monastery in 1539, it has operated as a parish church.

Some of the funding will go towards an array of events such as willow weaving, stained glass and embroidery workshops, graffiti workshops (using site hoardings) and training in biodiversity-enhancing gardening practices linked to the monastic gardens.

Mr Weetman said: "We will be able to involve many more people from the local community and beyond in discovering how the abbey and the town came to be here, and how they developed during those early years of their history in medieval times."

In the East Riding, Grade I listed All Saints Church in Hessle has been awarded £229,768 for the "Towering Presence" project, which will carry out critical repairs and deliver a programme of inter-generational events.

The Rev Gemma Turner, vicar of All Saints, said: "Not only does this save our historic 15th-Century tower, but it helps us to engage the whole community of Hessle in exploring not just the heritage of the church, but the town itself."

Other places of worship to receive funding are St Thomas' Church in Osbaldwick, All Saints Parochial Church in Helmsley and St Martin's Church in Bulmer.

Hull Minster and Sir Moses Montefiore Memorial Synagogue in Grimsby have also been awarded funding.

Meanwhile, Bradford Cathedral has been given funding to invite visitors during Bradford UK City of Culture 2025 to co-create a new tapestry using a loom installation.

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