West Witton / West Wythton / West Wytton / Westwithington / Witton / Wittuna / Witun / Wudetun

There is an entry for [West] Witton [variant spelling] in the Domesday survey [https://opendomesday.org/place/SE0688/west-witton/] [accessed 13 September 2019] but it mentions neither cleric nor church in it. The entry for this parish in the Victoria County History [York North Riding, vol. 1, 1914) notes: "The earliest mention of the church, variously described as church, chapel or free chapel, (fn. 113) seems to occur in 1281 [...] The whole edifice has been almost entirely rebuilt. [...] The tower is in one stage without string-courses or buttresses and dates probably from the 16th century". The entry for this church in Historic England [Listing NGR: SE0610688485] notes: "Church. C16 tower, rest of 1875 [...] Near chancel arch, 2 old bells, said to be of Saxon and c.1300 dates. At west end, early C18 altar table. Small C18 font, wine-glass shape. Chamfered doorway to vestry, set in the wall of which is stone with Saxon cross-head on it, perhaps a dedication stone." The Penhill Benefice site [www.penhillbenefice.co.uk/momoiro-ch/archives/date/2016/08] [accessed 13 September 2019] notes: "An Anglo-Saxon Christian sculpture in the church is the physical manifestation of the spread of the Christian faith into Wensleydale after converts were baptised by Paulinius in the River Swale around 627AD. It is believed that the sculpture, which is in the form of a free-armed cross with perimeter moulding, may date from the late 8th or early 9th century AD.Leaflets about the sculpture and the Christian heritage of this region are available in the church. The sculpture was found when St Bartholomew’s was extensively restored in 1876. It may have been built into the chancel wall in Norman times, around 1100 AD, or when some restoration work was carried out in the 15th century."