All Saints church in Appleton-le-Street is of very old foundation. It may be that it stands on the site of a pagan temple, certainly it would appear that the site has been used for burials since Roman times.
The earliest written reference to a church at Appleton exists in a charter of King Henry II (1154-1189), but is curiously omitted from the Domesday Book. Like St Helen’s Amotherby, the charter of Pope Honorius III to St. Albans Abbey confirms that the church was under the guardianship of the Abbey of St. Albans, but quite how this state of affairs came about is unclear.
In 1215 the register of Archbishop Walter Grey of York begins and from then on there is a more or less continuous historical record. The first reference in the register to Appleton is on 20th September 1232 when a Mr. Stephen de Eglefeld was instituted as first Rector. From these earliest records it is evident that Appleton was a Mother church, with the church at Amotherby being a “daughter” church.
The tower of All Saints Episcopal Church in Appleton, Wisconsin is modelled on the church’s tower and was built in 1905 by Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge.
The church is a little hidden from view as it is slightly off the main road, but turning at the Cresswell Arms and then slightly right up what appears at first to be a farm track will bring you to the Grade 1 listed building. Services occur mostly in the summer months as the track can be hard to navigate during winter. Please check with the calendar for service times.
The parish of All Saints Appleton-Le-Street with St Helen’s Amotherby incorporates the villages of Appleton-Le-Street, Amotherby, Swinton, Broughton and Eastfield.
Detailed information on All Saints Appleton-Le-Street can be found by clicking on the link (PDF document).