 |
 |
 |
| The approach to the village over a bridge | Parish Church of St. John the Evangelist | |
 |
 |
|
| Remains of a former hermitage on the west side of the north aisle with a squint |
The porch with its upper storey | |
 |
 |
|
| One of the grotesques on the string course on the north side | View across the nave to the pulpit |
Most villages in England, even though they have had new housing built since the Second World War, are now little more than dormitories. They have lost their shops and post office and sometimes even their primary school and public house. Ryhall may not make headline news but it still has a general store cum post office, a butcher and two public houses.
The village has a fine early 13th century church. It has a two storey porch with the upper room for the priest. This room was once used a school. The nave is broad and lofty and gives a pleasant sense of light and air. The north arcade dates from about 1200 whereas the south arcade was built a few years later. The chancel was rebuilt in 1500. The font and the sedilia date from about 1300. There must have been altars in the two aisle as shown by the piscinas for washing communion cups and the aumbries for the bread. As in the case of Breedon on the Hill, King Penda comes into the story of Ryhall. According to the legend, St. Tibba, the patron saint of falconers, was the niece of King Pendra and lived on the site of the current church in the 7th century. In the 9th century her remains were moved to Medehamstede near Peterborough. The remains of a small hermitage associated with the saint can be seen on the west side of the north aisle and there is a squint allowing a view of the interior of the church.
Information sheet in the church.
Strict 