Restoration and discovery
The church of St Oswald was the subject of a major restoration programme which took place in 1910 when all but the north and east wall was demolished. This is the reason why many visitors bypass the building assuming it is too recent to be of any great interest. In fact, the foundations of the church date back many centuries. The first written record are from the early years of the 12th century but archaeological evidence takes the history back to around 900 AD. Proof of this early establishment came to light during the 1910 restoration when a number of carved stones and crosses were discovered built into the church walls. Known to be of Anglo-Danish origin several of these stones can now be seen on display at the back of the church.

Invasion!
The Vikings invaded this coastline in 867 and sacked the abbey of St Hilda and the town of Streonshalh which they henceforth called Whitby. Those who settled in the area established a graveyard at Lythe, as evidenced by the ancient stones. Their church, of which no trace now remains, was probably built of wood. It was the next invaders, the Normans, who built the first stone church and a few fragments of their work remain in the old walls and the large stone coffin to be seen near the north east corner of the present building.

Future assured
Lythe Church has seen many alterations and additions over the years leading to the restoration of nearly one hundred years ago. No doubt there will be further alterations as the years progress but there can be little doubt that the site will remain one of Christian worship for many generations to come.