LAST week’s guest church, was the much visited and picturesque 12th century church of St Michael at Linton Falls, near Grassington, and was correctly identified by both Elaine Wills and Teresa Winstanley.

It is part of the Benefice of Linton, Burnsall and Rylstone, and comes under the Leeds Church of England Diocese; its rector is the Rev David Macha.

A church has been on the site, next to the River Wharfe, since Saxon times, and probably would have been a timber framed church with wattle and daub and thatched roof. It was replaced with a stone building in around 1150 and over the years has been extended first with a north aisle, and then a south aisle.

Around 1350, the chancel was demolished, and was replaced with a new, decorated chancel. Its flat-topped windows in the side aisles were added in the 15th century, replacing the formerly narrow, lancet windows and so allowing more light into the church. At around the same time, the clerestory was added.

There was major restoration in the 19th century; carved stonework originally round the windows was used to make stone benches in the rebuilt south porch.

The flat chancel and nave roofs were also restored and replaced with wood beamed ceilings, and thebelfry at the west end was rebuilt using the original stones. The Georgian fittings were removed and replaced by Victorian. Following the theft of lead from the roof, the church was re-roofed with Yorkshire stone slate in the early 1980s.

What about this week’s guest church? Send suggestions by 8am on Monday to news@cravenherald.co.uk; where you can also send a picture of your favourite Craven church.