Faith

"I suppose St Andrew's is special to me because it's on a very old foundation, it's probably one of the earliest churches in the Wolds valley but it ran into difficulties in the middle ages.

"Then we come to Tatton Sykes and the great Victorian architect G.E. Street who rebuilt the church incorporating what was left or building something similar.

"Of course it's a tremendous problem looking after a building like this. Time does take its toll, as does the weather here. Even the best stone will fragment and that means that this church, like many from the 19th century or earlier, presents a big problem keeping up with repairs."

St Andrew's is home to a large and unusual mosaic

What about this church is so special that it's worth keeping up with all this difficult maintenance? Is it really worth it?

"It's absolutely worth it. The trouble is that people have a rather restricted idea, and sometimes that includes the clergy, about how you can use a church building.

"We are looking at an absolutely fabulous building. You've got these beautiful structures - you look at the outside of the church, there's that beautiful spire pointing upwards, which says so much about the aspirations of the Christian faith. But it also tells you about its significance in the community; it's the highest point in the community.

"Then when G.E. Street came along, the care he took with his design is remarkable. For example in the chancel where he's tried to imitate and preserve what was done by the Normans, and then what he's done is an almost perfect copy. Then we look at the incredible marble pulpit that he's designed, and the pyramid shapes are echoed all around the building.

So is it just the architecture that's important or is there something more?

"I think one's also looking at something that's very inspiring spiritually. The spire pointing upwards says what Christianity is about, I think the buildings themselves can actually inspire people to faith; and not just a faith in terms of Christianity, although that's obviously what they were designed for, but a sense of community and that we belong together.

"This building can be the one place where we are to be drawn. A place that's special, it's holy, it's consecrate, but it's also for everybody. And I think these buildings say that in the way in which they are built, the way they have an large open space for every body. It's not just a closed shop.

"I think they're much more than just art and architecture but one of the reasons this building is so particularly special is because it's a very fine example of art and architecture as well."