St. Andrew's Church has a continuous history dating back to Norman times. For many centuries until the other churches were built, this was where people were buried from the whole of Swaledale and Arkengarthdale. People dying in the upper dale were carried in wicker coffins along the Corpse Way for burial in St. Andrew's churchyard. The could be an onerous two day walk, especially in winter.

A copy of the registers of the Parish Church of Grinton in Swaledale, transcribed in a book by F. William Slingsby in 1905, is available here. They cover 1640 to 1807. Note that there is an index of names at the back.

A survey of the inscriptions on the many gravestones and on the memorials in the Church was carried out in 1988. I am very grateful for permission from the Cleveland Family History Society to reproduce scans of the survey here on this site. Please note that Cleveland FHS retain the copyright on all their documents. This survey is now being brought up to date.
 

The survey consists of three parts:

• The churchyard plan shown left with all the gravestones referenced by number.
Please click here or on the plan to load a larger version. This larger version prints well at A4.

• A card index with scans of each card recording the full inscriptions on each memorial. These are arranged by card number, but with a searchable list of all the names on each one.
Please click here to go to the card index page.
Eastern section: some transcriptions, photos & corrections added.
This index is in the process of being updated.

A detailed history of St. Andrew's Church and many photographs may be seen by going to the
St. Andrew's Church page.