St John's Burlington
Bridlington, Yorkshire
The church is grade II listed as a building of special architectural interest and its distinctive exterior is an important landmark in the Old Town of Bridlington.
All Saints sits in the grounds of the famous Rudston megalith , this alone clearly points to the area being of ritual use thousands of years before this Norman church was erected. At 26 feet high, it is the tallest standing stone in Britain. The megalith was set here around 2000 BC, after being quarried and transported from the Cleveland Hills, west of Whitby.
It is a lovely early Norman church built around the year 1100 by William Peverel, lord of the manor. Of that Norman church, the tower remains, and you can still trace the original west entrance in the stonework at the west end of the church.
The Norman building was extended in the 13th century when both north and south aisles were added, along with the name and chancel arch. In the sanctuary is a slightly later sedilia.
The entire west end of the church is dominated by a huge organ donated by Sir Alexander MacDonald of the Isles, who played it for over 40 years. A plaque to MacDonald is set on the chancel wall. At the west end of the south aisle is a monument to Winifred Holtby, author of 'South Riding'. Holtby lived and wrote at Rudston House, and her grave is at the west end of the churchyard.
A great treasure of Rudston church is the beautifully decorated Norman font in tub shape, wonderfully carved with geometric patterns.