Church of St Mary, Lastingham

The Church of St Mary, Lastingham, is the Church of England parish church for the village of Lastingham in North Yorkshire, England. The parish is 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Kirkbymoorside, 6 miles (9.7 km) west of Pickering and 30 miles (48 km) north east from York. The first church on the site was a Catholic monastery founded in 654, though the present church dates from the latter part of the 11th century and became an Anglican parish church during the English Reformation. Lastingham has been an important part of Christian heritage and culture in Northern England and as such, has been a place of pilgrimage, especially for its rare crypt, which is said to be unique architecturally for England, and possibly, the world.