One of the largest parish churches in England, this Norman abbey is the first Anglican Parish Church to appear on the WMF Watch. Founded in 1069 by William the Conqueror, three years after the Norman Conquest, it is a key document illustrating the transition from Romanesque to a fully developed Gothic style.
The painted and stained glass of the east window illustrates the Tree of Jesse and is held in place by the best example of curvilinear tracery in Britain. There are also rare examples of 14th century carved figures which sit astride the parapets within and outside the choir. The abbey has been at the core of the local community since its beginning. Its survival is crucial to maintaining and reviving a shattered community since the closure of most of the area’s coalfields.
How has the WMF Watch helped:
“A big problem facing Selby is that despite the abbey being a cathedral size church, it carries the status and financial clout of a parish church. The Appeal, working with the project architect, identified seven major areas of works, as part of a larger restoration project spread over eight or nine years, to save the abbey and keep it open to the parish. Six of the seven projects are now complete, thanks to the funds the appeal - together with the World Monuments Fund - has raised. The seventh and final project of the extensive restoration project has just been granted World Monuments Fund Robert Wilson Funding, with completion of the appeal programme set for March 2009.” Read more
Brigadier Jeremy Gaskell
About the project
Thanks to the World Monuments Fund gargoyles have been re-carved, stonework restored or replaced in the worst affected areas, and stained glass windows have been re-glazed. Most importantly, the abbey has been made safe. The works were prioritised by the project architect and roughly scheduled at one major phase per year. The 7th project is due for completion next year Read more
Being on the Watch has brought sustained publicity and funds to the appeal. We are in it for the long haul and the Watch has provided the momentum to keep the restoration project going for over a decade. The impact of the Watch success is far reaching.
Brigadier Jeremy Gaskell, founder of the Selby Abbey Appeal
I regard your decision in promoting us for listing by the WMF as the best break we’ve had.
Dr. Ingrid Roscoe, High Steward of Selby Abbey and Lord-Lieutenant of West Yorkshire
Links
To find out more about Selby Abbey the work of the appeal visit http://www.selbyabbey.org.uk
How to apply for Watch listing
For further information on the 2010 Watch List or to discuss your site for 2010 nomination, please contact us at WMF Britain.
World Monuments Watch
To view the current Watch List and to learn more about its impact worldwide, visit www.worldmonumentswatch.org
Watch Listing: 2002
Threats
- Deterioration of the exterior stonework, highlighted by one of the pinnacles falling from the Central Tower onto the transept.
- Salt efflorescence eating away at the stonework and interior carvings.
- Built from Magnesian limestone, the abbey suffers from the detrimental effects of industrial pollution
- A lack of funds in the immediate parish poses a serious threat to the abbey.
Viability
- The project architect has identified and prioritised a plan of works to be carried out as part of an extensive restoration.
- The Selby Abbey Trust, set up 30 years ago, is in place to provide funds for maintaining the building.
- In 1999 the Selby Appeal, launched by Brigadier Jeremy Gaskell, raises funds for the Trust and will provide further money for the extensive restoration programme required in order for the abbey to remain open.
