The Selby Times on 31st July, 1978 reported that ‘The little village of Hambleton is faced with the prospect of raising more than £1,200 to carry out essential improvements to its church. Top of the list of priorities is the church floor which has subsided. Officials of St Mary’s Parish Church, Hambleton are awaiting the go-ahead from the Diocesan Architect in York to start improvements. The floor alone will cost £600 to repair.
“We first noticed that something was wrong with the floor when the tiles started cracking. On closer inspection it became apparent the lime underneath the floor had got wet and subsided, leaving a gap underneath the tiles, which will now have to be filled with stones and rubble to bolster it up. But that is not the only problem, although it is the most pressing. Inside the stone pillars are slowly disintegrating, and sooner or later, they will have to be done up. We have already repaired the pillars outside. We are going to launch a church fund as soon as we get the go-ahead to repair the floor. We have not worked out what activities and events we will do yet, but we will make a tremendous effort to raise the money. We are going to need a great deal of help from everyone who wants our church to survive.” said Mr. Frank Thwaites, a churchwarden.