Christianity was brought to Brutain in the time of the Romans. When the Romans left, invading Jutes, Saxons and Angles drove Christianity out to the remoter regions, where it survivied until Irish Missionaries re-introduced the faith to England and established monasteries for prayer, worship and teaching. One such monastery was founded here in Lastingham in AD 654. 

Cedd was one of four Anglo-Saxon brothers who were trained at Lindesfarne in Northumbria, under Bishop Aiden. All four brothers, Cedd, Cynebil, Caelin and Chad, became priests, Cedd and Chad both became bishops. The brothers are mentioned by Bede in his 'History of the English Church and People' which he completed in AD 731. Cedd was given a grant of land by Ethelwald, son of King Oswald, on which to found a monastery. The original building would probably have been built of wood. Bishop Cedd administered the monastery for some years through his chosen representitives. He visited from time to tiem over the years, he happened to visit during a time of plague in 664 and there he fell ill and died. Bede says he was first buried in the open but in the course of time a stone church was build and his body was reinterred in it on the left side of the altar. Bishop Cedd bequeathed the abbacy of the monastery to his brother Chad, who later became Bishop of Lichfield.