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The pulpit and communion table at Swinton Kirk

There has been a church in the ancient parish of Swinton since the 11th. century and preceded the foundation of Coldingham Priory to which it was granted in 1098 by King Edgar. The lairds of the manor, the Swintons, many of whom are interred within the church, were pious patrons of the church over the centuries. The Swintons are one of most enduring families in the United Kingdom, having lived at Swinton for nearly 1,000 years, a reign any royal family would be proud of. St. Cuthbert was known to have attended sermons at a chapel in Swinton in the 8th. century but whether that chapel was the ancestor of the present church is not known. One of the most prominent parson of the kirk was William de Swytone who was forcibly removed from his charge by the bully king, Edward of England but was reinstated following his gesture of allegiance at Berwick in 1296. The present church was built in 1729 but still contains much of the fabric of the early medieval church.