Medieval churches of York
Encyclopedia
York
had around forty-five parish church
es in 1300. Twenty survive, in whole or in part, a number surpassed in England only by Norwich
, and twelve are currently used for worship. This article consists of, first, a list of medieval churches which still exist in whole or in part, and, second, a list of medieval churches which are known to have existed in the past but have been completely demolished.
http://www.allsaints-northstreet.org.uk This church was founded in the eleventh century, but most of the present building is fourteenth and fifteenth century. The land on which the church was erected was reputedly donated by Ralph de Paganel, a Norman tenant-in-chief
whose name is commemorated in the Yorkshire village of Hooton Pagnell
. All Saints Church is attractively situated near the river Ouse
and next to a row of fifteenth-century timber-framed
houses. Externally, the main feature is the impressive tower
with a tall octagonal spire
. Attached to the west end is an anchorhold or hermitage built of concrete in the 1920s on the site of a house occupied by a hermit on the early 15th century. Internally there are fifteenth-century hammerbeam roof
s and much medieval stained glass
, including the Corporal Works of Mercy (derived from Matt 25:31ff) and the "Prick of Conscience" windows. The latter depicts the fifteen signs of the End of the World
. The church has an Anglo-Catholic heritage and there are many images of devotion.
A church has been on this site since before the Norman Conquest
, but the present building is almost entirely fourteenth- and fifteenth-century. As with St. Denys (below), part of the building was demolished in the late eighteenth century: the east end (chancel and aisles) was removed so that the market-place in Pavement could be expanded. The present east end (originally the crossing) was rebuilt to a design by George Edmund Street
in 1887, but the remains of the medieval chancel-arch can still be seen above the east window inside the church.
The most noticeable feature of the church's exterior is the octagonal lantern
-tower of about 1400, which for many years housed a light to guide travellers. Inside, there is a hexagonal pulpit of 1634, and several fittings originally from St Saviour and St Crux, whose parishes, among others, were united with All Saints'. Most notable are the west window of fine 15th century York glass with scenes from the life of Christ, with iconography possibly reflecting the Miracle Plays; the east windows by Kempe
; and the 12th century 'doom' knocker on the north door.
The author Angelo Raine was Rector of All Saints'.
Founded in the first half of the 12th century, its architecture is that of the 13th and 14th centuries, with woodwork and pews of the 17th and 18th centuries. The church is a good example of how a church was arranged after the Reformation. The stained glass over the altar is a gift of John Walker, Rector and is late Perpendicular of 1470-1480, a rare date in York glass.
The churchyard is secluded behind rows of old buildings, accessed by narrow alleyways. It is about as close as you can get to how a church would have looked after the Reformation: dark, quiet, homely, with uneven floors, high box pews and plain walls. With candlelight it must perfectly evoke the late 17th century. It is a Grade I listed building.
The church dates back to the 12th century, although the current building owes rather more to the 13th-15th centuries: although part of the Chancel dates from the 12th century, the South Aisle and Chapel date from date from 1340, the Tower and North Aisle were built in the first half of the 15th century. The box pews are recorded as being repaired in 1633, and new ones added in 1700-1725. The pulpit dates from 1695.
But the church’s most notable feature - as is so often the case in York - is its mediaeval stained glass. The windows are decorated and perpendicular in style. The best is the late Perpendicular east window: this dates from 1470-71 and was presented by the then rector, John Walker. The glass depicts saints, including St George and St Christopher, as well as heraldic shields, around a central panel in which a representation of God as the Trinity holding the dead Christ, with the donors at his feet. Other features include a simple 15th century font and wall plaques recalling Lord Mayors of York, including the 'Railway King’, George Hudson
.
The church is in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
. It was declared redundant on 29 June 1971, and was vested
in the Trust on 7 November 1972.
used it from 1730 to 1823. By 1924 it was the ‘Gospel Hall’ of the ‘open’ Plymouth Brethren
. Today it is still used for Christian worship.
. The Hall contains a number of monuments from the old church, and other fittings are now in All Saints, Pavement, to which the parish of St Crux was joined in 1885. Part of the stone wall of the fifteenth-century north aisle is still to be seen, and forms part of the southern exterior wall of no. 23 the Shambles and of the south wall of the Snickelway
which leads to Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma Gate
. The Hall is currently used as a café.
near Layerthorpe
. It has Rectors from 1239. The existing building dates back to 1430 when it was restored and largely rebuilt by William de Bowes, who was Lord Mayor of York in 1417 and 1428, and Member of Parliament in four Parliaments.
The Bowes family lived in what is now the Black Swan Inn, some 110 yards (100.6 m) from the church. This passed to the Thompson family, one of whose daughters was the mother of James Wolfe
, hero of Quebec
. Thus the Church has been called "The Cradle of Canada
". This is commemorated by the flags of Canada and the USA which adorn the church.
The church is linked with St Michael-le-Belfrey and currently used for 'alternative' forms of worship.
raised above the level of the surrounding roads. It is dedicated to St Denys
, the patron saint of France
and of Paris
. There is evidence that the site was formerly occupied by buildings of the Roman
and Viking
or Anglo-Saxon
periods. The present church is the chancel of the original medieval building, and occupies about one-third of its space - the west end was demolished in 1797, and the central tower (whose spire
had been damaged in the Siege of York
and was later struck by lightning in 1700) was replaced by the present tower in 1847.
This faces St Helen's Square, which incorporates the historic churchyard.
The earliest evidence of date is the mid to late 12th century font, but like other medieval churches in the city it is probably a pre-Conquest foundation. Though rebuilt twice, in the 1550s and 1857-8, the church is essentially medieval. The main exceptions are the tower (c1814) and chancel (1858). The west window incorporates significant amounts of 14th and 15th century glass.
was married in 1719). This dates back to the twelfth century, although its top storey was added in the early sixteenth century. The tower, which is in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
, has an impressive Norman
doorway, formerly one of the entrances to the nave.
St Margaret is one of the two medieval churches that survive from the original six in the Walmgate area (the other survivor is St Denys, above). It dates back to at least the 12th century, though most of the present structure is 14th century. The major exceptions are the red brick tower, built in 1684 after the collapse of a previous tower, and the Romanesque
tunnel-vaulted south porch which is enriched with carvings of the signs of the zodiac and the labours of the Months
. The porch originally belonged to the church of St Nicholas's Hospital, which was situated outside Walmgate Bar and was ruined during the Civil War
. It was moved to St Margarets at about the same time as the rebuilding of the tower.
St Margaret was restored and enlarged in 1850-1, but its congregation gradually declined and it was declared redundant
in 1974. It was subsequently used as a store for the York Theatre Royal
until its adaptation for use as a performance space and conference facility by the National Centre for Early Music
, which opened in 2000.
. The church is most notable now for the restoration under the architect George Gaze Pace
, completed in 1968, which is generally considered one of the most successful post-war church restorations in the country, successfully blending the surviving 15th century remains with contemporary elements.
The church is also known for the prominent clock overhanging the street, topped by the figure of a naval officer dating from 1778.
This church is being developed as a stained glass centre.
http://www.stmary-bishophill.co.uk/
It is generally agreed that this is the oldest church within the city walls. The site of the church was the colonia or civil quarter of the Roman garrison of Eboracum and elements of Roman stonework can be found in the Tower. There are also fragments of pre-Conquest stonework inside this church.
is situated within the walls of St Mary's Abbey, which was ruined at the Dissolution. It is dedicated to Olaf, patron saint of Norway. Thought to have been founded by Earl Siward of Northumbria before the Conquest, the medieval church was restored in the 18th century. A new chancel was added in 1887-9 designed by George Fowler Jones
, a York architect. This contains the five-light 15th-century east window.
in around 1095. After the dissolution of the Monasteries
, it seems to have quickly fallen into disuse, and by 1549 had disappeared.
, the church was taken over in approximately 1195 by a Gilbertine
Priory
which was dissolved in 1538.
nunnery which was closed in 1536. The church itself closed in 1547, but some ruins were still to be seen when Francis Drake
published Eboracum. A new Church of St Clement was eventually built in Scarcroft Road in 1872-4.
) survives, and across the road (now George Street) is the Roman Catholic Church of St George
, built to serve the Irish community that settled in the Walmgate area after the Potato Famine.
building is now. The first known mention of it was in the twelfth century. In 1586, the parish was amalgamated with that of St Olave, but when it was demolished is not known. The churchyard was still in use for the burial of plague victims in 1605, and it is possible that executed criminals were also buried there until 1693.
and Toft Green. It was first mentioned in the twelfth century. In around 1548, the church of St Martin on Micklegate was scheduled for closure, but an agreement between Alderman
John Beane and the Corporation resulted in the refurbishment of St Martin, the uniting of its parish with that of St Gregory and the demolition of the latter. The combined parish was designated as St Martin-cum-Gregory in 1586.
in the 1970s, and a number of phases of building or rebuilding were identified. The original church was a small rectangular building, with stone walls that included re-used Roman stones. It seems to have been built in the late 9th or early 10th century. There were four later building phases: a small chancel was added (probably in the 12th century), the chancel was lengthened and the nave walls rebuilt (possibly early fourteenth century), the whole church was rebuilt to make it wider, though the length was the same as the older building (around 1400), and finally, around 1500, the nave was lengthened and the north wall probably rebuilt. In 1549, the parish was added to that of St Cuthbert and the church started to decay. Some remains were still standing in 1580.
Yard. It was situated on the north-east side of Ogleforth and was built before 1160. It was enlarged in the fifteenth century but, along with the churchard and rectory
, it was sold to Archbishop Holgate
in 1553, probably becoming part of the nearby Archbishop Holgate's School
, and the parish was then united with that of Holy Trinity, Goodramgate.
, when it was severely damaged by the Parliamentary forces' cannon fire. Lord Fairfax
arranged for its Norman doorway to be re-erected at St Margaret, Walmgate, and the rest of the church's fabric was subsequently re-used or stolen. St Nicholas Fields is an old brickworks and landfill site which now has the St Nicholas Fields Environment Centre situated on it. The nature reserve has a modern stone circle which has used some of the stones from the church.
eventually replaced it in 1862-4.
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
had around forty-five parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
es in 1300. Twenty survive, in whole or in part, a number surpassed in England only by Norwich
Norwich
Norwich is a city in England. It is the regional administrative centre and county town of Norfolk. During the 11th century, Norwich was the largest city in England after London, and one of the most important places in the kingdom...
, and twelve are currently used for worship. This article consists of, first, a list of medieval churches which still exist in whole or in part, and, second, a list of medieval churches which are known to have existed in the past but have been completely demolished.
All Saints, North Street
Tenant-in-chief
In medieval and early modern European society the term tenant-in-chief, sometimes vassal-in-chief, denoted the nobles who held their lands as tenants directly from king or territorial prince to whom they did homage, as opposed to holding them from another nobleman or senior member of the clergy....
whose name is commemorated in the Yorkshire village of Hooton Pagnell
Hooton Pagnell
Hooton Pagnell is a village and civil parish in the Metropolitan Borough of Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England, on the border with West Yorkshire. It lies on the B6422 road, and is located at approximately , at an elevation of around 80 metres above sea level...
. All Saints Church is attractively situated near the river Ouse
River Ouse, Yorkshire
The River Ouse is a river in North Yorkshire, England. The river is formed from the River Ure at Cuddy Shaw Reach near Linton-on-Ouse, about 6 miles downstream of the confluence of the River Swale with the River Ure...
and next to a row of fifteenth-century timber-framed
Timber framing
Timber framing , or half-timbering, also called in North America "post-and-beam" construction, is the method of creating structures using heavy squared off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large wooden pegs . It is commonplace in large barns...
houses. Externally, the main feature is the impressive tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
with a tall octagonal spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
. Attached to the west end is an anchorhold or hermitage built of concrete in the 1920s on the site of a house occupied by a hermit on the early 15th century. Internally there are fifteenth-century hammerbeam roof
Hammerbeam roof
Hammerbeam roof, in architecture, is the name given to an open timber roof, typical of English Gothic architecture, using short beams projecting from the wall.- Design :...
s and much medieval stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
, including the Corporal Works of Mercy (derived from Matt 25:31ff) and the "Prick of Conscience" windows. The latter depicts the fifteen signs of the End of the World
Christian eschatology
Christian eschatology is a major branch of study within Christian theology. Eschatology, from two Greek words meaning last and study , is the study of the end of things, whether the end of an individual life, the end of the age, or the end of the world...
. The church has an Anglo-Catholic heritage and there are many images of devotion.
All Saints, Pavement
Norman conquest of England
The Norman conquest of England began on 28 September 1066 with the invasion of England by William, Duke of Normandy. William became known as William the Conqueror after his victory at the Battle of Hastings on 14 October 1066, defeating King Harold II of England...
, but the present building is almost entirely fourteenth- and fifteenth-century. As with St. Denys (below), part of the building was demolished in the late eighteenth century: the east end (chancel and aisles) was removed so that the market-place in Pavement could be expanded. The present east end (originally the crossing) was rebuilt to a design by George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street
George Edmund Street was an English architect, born at Woodford in Essex.- Life :Street was the third son of Thomas Street, solicitor, by his second wife, Mary Anne Millington. George went to school at Mitcham in about 1830, and later to the Camberwell collegiate school, which he left in 1839...
in 1887, but the remains of the medieval chancel-arch can still be seen above the east window inside the church.
The most noticeable feature of the church's exterior is the octagonal lantern
Lantern
A lantern is a portable lighting device or mounted light fixture used to illuminate broad areas. Lanterns may also be used for signaling, as 'torches', or as general light sources outdoors . Low light level varieties are used for decoration. The term "lantern" is also used more generically to...
-tower of about 1400, which for many years housed a light to guide travellers. Inside, there is a hexagonal pulpit of 1634, and several fittings originally from St Saviour and St Crux, whose parishes, among others, were united with All Saints'. Most notable are the west window of fine 15th century York glass with scenes from the life of Christ, with iconography possibly reflecting the Miracle Plays; the east windows by Kempe
Charles Eamer Kempe
Charles Eamer Kempe was a well-known Victorian stained glass designer. After attending Twyford School, he studied for the priesthood at Pembroke College, Oxford, but it became clear that his severe stammer would be an impediment to preaching...
; and the 12th century 'doom' knocker on the north door.
The author Angelo Raine was Rector of All Saints'.
Holy Trinity, Goodramgate
The churchyard is secluded behind rows of old buildings, accessed by narrow alleyways. It is about as close as you can get to how a church would have looked after the Reformation: dark, quiet, homely, with uneven floors, high box pews and plain walls. With candlelight it must perfectly evoke the late 17th century. It is a Grade I listed building.
The church dates back to the 12th century, although the current building owes rather more to the 13th-15th centuries: although part of the Chancel dates from the 12th century, the South Aisle and Chapel date from date from 1340, the Tower and North Aisle were built in the first half of the 15th century. The box pews are recorded as being repaired in 1633, and new ones added in 1700-1725. The pulpit dates from 1695.
But the church’s most notable feature - as is so often the case in York - is its mediaeval stained glass. The windows are decorated and perpendicular in style. The best is the late Perpendicular east window: this dates from 1470-71 and was presented by the then rector, John Walker. The glass depicts saints, including St George and St Christopher, as well as heraldic shields, around a central panel in which a representation of God as the Trinity holding the dead Christ, with the donors at his feet. Other features include a simple 15th century font and wall plaques recalling Lord Mayors of York, including the 'Railway King’, George Hudson
George Hudson
George Hudson , English railway financier, known as "The Railway King", was born, the fifth son of a farmer, in Howsham, in the parish of Scrayingham in the East Riding of Yorkshire, north of Stamford Bridge, east of York. He is buried in Scrayingham...
.
The church is in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
. It was declared redundant on 29 June 1971, and was vested
Vesting
In law, vesting is to give an immediately secured right of present or future enjoyment. One has a vested right to an asset that cannot be taken away by any third party, even though one may not yet possess the asset. When the right, interest or title to the present or future possession of a legal...
in the Trust on 7 November 1972.
Holy Trinity, Micklegate
http://holytrinityyork.org/ The nave and tower are remnants of the Benedictine priory church, itself on the site of the pre-Conquest church. The present five bay aisled nave is late 12th and early 13th century, the tower built after 1453. The church quickly fell into serious decay after the dissolution of the priory in 1538, and the extensive restoration from the 1850s onward included a chancel and vestry 1886-7 and a north porch and rebuilt west front 1902-5. The church now has an exhibition for visitors on the monastic life of the priory.St Andrew, St Andrewgate
This medieval church was closed by order of York City Council in about 1548 and sold for secular use. By 1576 the parson of St. Saviour's was criticised for keeping his 'swyne' in St. Andrew's churchyard. Later, St. Andrews was used as stable, brothel and school, presumably not simultaneously. St Peter’s SchoolSt Peter's School, York
St Peter's School is a co-educational independent boarding and day school located in the English City of York, with extensive grounds on the banks of the River Ouse...
used it from 1730 to 1823. By 1924 it was the ‘Gospel Hall’ of the ‘open’ Plymouth Brethren
Plymouth Brethren
The Plymouth Brethren is a conservative, Evangelical Christian movement, whose history can be traced to Dublin, Ireland, in the late 1820s. Although the group is notable for not taking any official "church name" to itself, and not having an official clergy or liturgy, the title "The Brethren," is...
. Today it is still used for Christian worship.
- Brian Seymour (1992) York's Other Churches and Chapels
St Crux, Pavement
This was the largest medieval parish church in York after its rebuilding in 1424, and a brick tower was added in 1697. It was closed around 1880 after becoming unsafe, and attempts to raise sufficient funds to rebuild it were unsuccessful. It was demolished in 1887, although some of the church's stonework was used to build the St Crux Parish Hall at the bottom of the ShamblesThe Shambles (York)
The Shambles is an old street in York, England, with overhanging timber-framed buildings, some dating back as far as the fourteenth century. It was once known as The Great Flesh Shambles, probably from the Anglo-Saxon Fleshammels , the word for the shelves that butchers used to display their meat...
. The Hall contains a number of monuments from the old church, and other fittings are now in All Saints, Pavement, to which the parish of St Crux was joined in 1885. Part of the stone wall of the fifteenth-century north aisle is still to be seen, and forms part of the southern exterior wall of no. 23 the Shambles and of the south wall of the Snickelway
Snickelways of York
The Snickelways of York, often misspelt Snickleways, are a collection of small streets and footpaths in the city of York, England. The word Snickelway was coined by local author Mark W...
which leads to Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma Gate
Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma Gate
Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate is one of the smallest streets in York, if not the smallest. It is between Colliergate and Fossgate and intersects The Pavement and The Stonebow in York city centre. It is currently a length of raised pavement between a church and a road junction.The origin of the name is unclear...
. The Hall is currently used as a café.
St Cuthbert, Peaseholme Green
St Cuthbert's Church was built near Layerthorpe Postern on York city wallsYork city walls
The English city of York has, since Roman times, been defended by walls of one form or another. To this day, substantial portions of the walls remain, and York has more miles of intact wall than any other city in England...
near Layerthorpe
Layerthorpe
Layerthorpe is a former village and latterly industrial district to the north-east of the centre of the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. It is just outside the city walls of York.- Origin of the name :...
. It has Rectors from 1239. The existing building dates back to 1430 when it was restored and largely rebuilt by William de Bowes, who was Lord Mayor of York in 1417 and 1428, and Member of Parliament in four Parliaments.
The Bowes family lived in what is now the Black Swan Inn, some 110 yards (100.6 m) from the church. This passed to the Thompson family, one of whose daughters was the mother of James Wolfe
James Wolfe
Major General James P. Wolfe was a British Army officer, known for his training reforms but remembered chiefly for his victory over the French in Canada...
, hero of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. Thus the Church has been called "The Cradle of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
". This is commemorated by the flags of Canada and the USA which adorn the church.
The church is linked with St Michael-le-Belfrey and currently used for 'alternative' forms of worship.
St Denys, Walmgate
St Denys Church stands in a churchyardChurchyard
A churchyard is a patch of land adjoining or surrounding a church which is usually owned by the relevant church or local parish itself. In the Scots language or Northern English language this can also be known as a kirkyard or kirkyaird....
raised above the level of the surrounding roads. It is dedicated to St Denys
Denis
Saint Denis is a Christian martyr and saint. In the third century, he was Bishop of Paris. He was martyred in connection with the Decian persecution of Christians, shortly after A.D. 250...
, the patron saint of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. There is evidence that the site was formerly occupied by buildings of the Roman
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
and Viking
Viking
The term Viking is customarily used to refer to the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided, traded, explored and settled in wide areas of Europe, Asia and the North Atlantic islands from the late 8th to the mid-11th century.These Norsemen used their famed longships to...
or Anglo-Saxon
Anglo-Saxons
Anglo-Saxon is a term used by historians to designate the Germanic tribes who invaded and settled the south and east of Great Britain beginning in the early 5th century AD, and the period from their creation of the English nation to the Norman conquest. The Anglo-Saxon Era denotes the period of...
periods. The present church is the chancel of the original medieval building, and occupies about one-third of its space - the west end was demolished in 1797, and the central tower (whose spire
Spire
A spire is a tapering conical or pyramidal structure on the top of a building, particularly a church tower. Etymologically, the word is derived from the Old English word spir, meaning a sprout, shoot, or stalk of grass....
had been damaged in the Siege of York
Siege of York
The Siege of York in 1644 was a prolonged contest for York during the English Civil War, between the Scottish Covenanter Army and the Parliamentarian Armies of the Northern Association and Eastern Association on the one hand, and the Royalist Army under the Marquess of Newcastle on the other...
and was later struck by lightning in 1700) was replaced by the present tower in 1847.
St Helen, Stonegate
http://www.sthelensyork.org.uk/This faces St Helen's Square, which incorporates the historic churchyard.
The earliest evidence of date is the mid to late 12th century font, but like other medieval churches in the city it is probably a pre-Conquest foundation. Though rebuilt twice, in the 1550s and 1857-8, the church is essentially medieval. The main exceptions are the tower (c1814) and chancel (1858). The west window incorporates significant amounts of 14th and 15th century glass.
St John, Micklegate
A simple rectangular building, with the earliest parts including the tower base dating from the 12th century. Much of the current building dates from the 15th century, though the east end was rebuilt in the middle of the 19th to enable the widening of North Street and there was extensive restoration at that period. The church closed 1934. It later became the Institute of Architecture of the York Academic Trust, which merged into the new University of York. The university used it as an Arts Centre in the 1960s, but it was subsequently sold and is now a bar. A particular item of interest is the bells, whose ropes hang around the bar float! There is occasional ringing, however not very often.St Lawrence, Lawrence Street
The present church is Victorian, but in its churchyard is the small tower of its predecessor (in which Sir John VanbrughJohn Vanbrugh
Sir John Vanbrugh – 26 March 1726) was an English architect and dramatist, perhaps best known as the designer of Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard. He wrote two argumentative and outspoken Restoration comedies, The Relapse and The Provoked Wife , which have become enduring stage favourites...
was married in 1719). This dates back to the twelfth century, although its top storey was added in the early sixteenth century. The tower, which is in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Conservation Trust
The Churches Conservation Trust, which was initially known as the Redundant Churches Fund, is a charity whose purpose is to protect historic churches at risk, those that have been made redundant by the Church of England. The Trust was established by the Pastoral Measure of 1968...
, has an impressive Norman
Norman architecture
About|Romanesque architecture, primarily English|other buildings in Normandy|Architecture of Normandy.File:Durham Cathedral. Nave by James Valentine c.1890.jpg|thumb|200px|The nave of Durham Cathedral demonstrates the characteristic round arched style, though use of shallow pointed arches above the...
doorway, formerly one of the entrances to the nave.
St Margaret, Walmgate
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
tunnel-vaulted south porch which is enriched with carvings of the signs of the zodiac and the labours of the Months
Labours of the Months
The term Labours of the Months refers to cycles in Medieval and early Renaissance art depicting in twelve scenes the rural activities that commonly took place in the months of the year...
. The porch originally belonged to the church of St Nicholas's Hospital, which was situated outside Walmgate Bar and was ruined during the Civil War
English Civil War
The English Civil War was a series of armed conflicts and political machinations between Parliamentarians and Royalists...
. It was moved to St Margarets at about the same time as the rebuilding of the tower.
St Margaret was restored and enlarged in 1850-1, but its congregation gradually declined and it was declared redundant
Redundant church
A redundant church is a church building that is no longer required for regular public worship. The phrase is particularly used to refer to former Anglican buildings in the United Kingdom, but may refer to any disused church building around the world...
in 1974. It was subsequently used as a store for the York Theatre Royal
York Theatre Royal
The York Theatre Royal is a theatre in St. Leonard's Place, York, England, which dates back to 1744. The theatre currently seats 847 people. This reduced capacity takes into account removal of the mixing position seats and the stage side boxes which are normally not sold...
until its adaptation for use as a performance space and conference facility by the National Centre for Early Music
National Centre for Early Music
The National Centre for Early Music is an educational resource located in York, England. It is based in the converted and extended medieval church of St Margaret, Walmgate....
, which opened in 2000.
St Martin Coney Street
http://www.stmartinsyork.org.uk/ Often known as St Martin le Grand, though this title was coined in the 1830s and is not the official name of the church. The earliest masonry is from c1080, though the church is thought to be older. The church was largely destroyed in a bombing raid on 29 April 1942, but the 15th century tower and south aisle remain, with a new vestry and parish room at the west end of the site. The St Martin window of c1437 was removed before the raid for safety; now occupying a new transept opposite the south door it is the largest medieval window in York outside the MinsterYork Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
. The church is most notable now for the restoration under the architect George Gaze Pace
George Pace
George Pace , English architect, was born in Croydon, Surrey.He won many prizes as a student including the Pugin Studentship in 1937 and the RIBA Asphitel Prize for the best architectural student in England....
, completed in 1968, which is generally considered one of the most successful post-war church restorations in the country, successfully blending the surviving 15th century remains with contemporary elements.
The church is also known for the prominent clock overhanging the street, topped by the figure of a naval officer dating from 1778.
St Martin-cum-Gregory, Micklegate
Part of the nave dates from the 13th century the remaining building dates from the 14th and 15th centuries.This church is being developed as a stained glass centre.
St Mary Bishophill Junior
It is generally agreed that this is the oldest church within the city walls. The site of the church was the colonia or civil quarter of the Roman garrison of Eboracum and elements of Roman stonework can be found in the Tower. There are also fragments of pre-Conquest stonework inside this church.
St Michael-le-Belfrey, High Petergate
St Michael-le-Belfrey is included here for completeness, as, strictly speaking, this is not a medieval church. The original church was completely demolished and rebuilt between 1525 and 1536, and the only part of the building surviving from the old church is the fourteenth-century stained glass in the east window.St Olave's, Marygate
St Olave'sSt Olave's Church, York
St Olave's is an Anglican church in York, England. It is situated on Marygate by St Mary's Abbey.The church is situated within St Mary's Abbey walls, which was ruined in the Dissolution of the Monasteries. It is dedicated to St Olaf, patron saint of Norway...
is situated within the walls of St Mary's Abbey, which was ruined at the Dissolution. It is dedicated to Olaf, patron saint of Norway. Thought to have been founded by Earl Siward of Northumbria before the Conquest, the medieval church was restored in the 18th century. A new chancel was added in 1887-9 designed by George Fowler Jones
George Fowler Jones
George Fowler Jones, was an architect , who was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, but based for most of his working life in York.-Biography and work:...
, a York architect. This contains the five-light 15th-century east window.
All Saints, Fishergate
It was built in or before the eleventh century, and was located south of Paragon Street. It was given to Whitby AbbeyWhitby Abbey
Whitby Abbey is a ruined Benedictine abbey overlooking the North Sea on the East Cliff above Whitby in North Yorkshire, England. It was disestablished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under the auspices of Henry VIII...
in around 1095. After the dissolution of the Monasteries
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
, it seems to have quickly fallen into disuse, and by 1549 had disappeared.
All Saints (in the Marsh), Peasholme Green
Demolished in 1586. It was adjacent to the Black Swan inn, which still exists.Holy Trinity (also known as Christ Church), King's Square
Largely rebuilt in the nineteenth century, closed in 1886 and fell into disuse (by 1896 it housed a small flock of sheep). It was demolished in 1937, but some of the gravestones from its churchyard can be seen in King's Square near the top of the Shambles, and at the Petergate end of the Square is a large inscribed paving stone commemorating the church.St Andrew, Fishergate
Between Fishergate and the River FossRiver Foss
The River Foss is an improved river in North Yorkshire, England, and a tributary of the River Ouse. It rises in the Foss Crooks woods near Oulston reservoir close to the village of Yearsley and runs south through the Vale of York to the Ouse...
, the church was taken over in approximately 1195 by a Gilbertine
Gilbertine Order
The Gilbertine Order of Canons Regular was founded around 1130 by Saint Gilbert in Sempringham, Lincolnshire, where Gilbert was the parish priest...
Priory
Priory
A priory is a house of men or women under religious vows that is headed by a prior or prioress. Priories may be houses of mendicant friars or religious sisters , or monasteries of monks or nuns .The Benedictines and their offshoots , the Premonstratensians, and the...
which was dissolved in 1538.
St Benet
The church, on the corner of Swinegate and Back Swinegate, was built before 1154 and demolished around 1300.St Clement, Clementhorpe
It possibly dated back to pre-Conquest times, then became part of a 12th century BenedictineBenedictine
Benedictine refers to the spirituality and consecrated life in accordance with the Rule of St Benedict, written by Benedict of Nursia in the sixth century for the cenobitic communities he founded in central Italy. The most notable of these is Monte Cassino, the first monastery founded by Benedict...
nunnery which was closed in 1536. The church itself closed in 1547, but some ruins were still to be seen when Francis Drake
Francis Drake (antiquary)
Francis Drake was an English antiquary and surgeon, best known as the author of an influential history of York, which he entitled Eboracum after the Roman name for the city.- Early life :...
published Eboracum. A new Church of St Clement was eventually built in Scarcroft Road in 1872-4.
St Edward the Martyr, Lawrence Street
This church (also known as St Edward the Martyr, Walmgate-Bar-Without) was built before 1213 but fell into decay in the sixteenth century. It was situated on the north side of Lawrence Street, near what is now Lansdowne Terrace. Over the years, construction workers in the area have uncovered burials under what was once the churchyard.St George, Fishergate
This church was suppressed in the sixteenth century and ruinous by 1644. Its churchyard (with the supposed gravestone of Dick TurpinDick Turpin
Richard "Dick" Turpin was an English highwayman whose exploits were romanticised following his execution in York for horse theft. Turpin may have followed his father's profession as a butcher early in life, but by the early 1730s he had joined a gang of deer thieves, and later became a poacher,...
) survives, and across the road (now George Street) is the Roman Catholic Church of St George
St George's York
St. George's Roman Catholic church is located in the centre of the city of York, England, on George Street in the Diocese of Middlesbrough. The Church was designed by Joseph Hansom and was the first pro-Cathedral of the Diocese of Beverley....
, built to serve the Irish community that settled in the Walmgate area after the Potato Famine.
St Giles, Gillygate
St Giles, the church of the Skinners Guild, was situated at the north end of Gillygate, on the west side of the road near where the Salvation ArmySalvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
building is now. The first known mention of it was in the twelfth century. In 1586, the parish was amalgamated with that of St Olave, but when it was demolished is not known. The churchyard was still in use for the burial of plague victims in 1605, and it is possible that executed criminals were also buried there until 1693.
St Gregory, Barker Lane
This was a small church, located on the east side of Barker Lane (previously called Gregory Lane), between MicklegateMicklegate
Micklegate is a street in the City of York, England. The name means "Great Street", "Gate" coming from the Old Norse gata, or street. Micklegate lies on the Western side of the River Ouse, Yorkshire, and holds the southern entrance into the city, Micklegate Bar, through which many monarchs have...
and Toft Green. It was first mentioned in the twelfth century. In around 1548, the church of St Martin on Micklegate was scheduled for closure, but an agreement between Alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
John Beane and the Corporation resulted in the refurbishment of St Martin, the uniting of its parish with that of St Gregory and the demolition of the latter. The combined parish was designated as St Martin-cum-Gregory in 1586.
St Helen, Fishergate
St Helen, located in what is now Winterscale Street, east of Fishergate, was granted to Holy Trinity Priory by Ralph Paganel in 1086. The church fell into disuse in the late fifteenth century, and the parish was amalgamated with that of St Lawrence in 1586. Drake, in Eboracum (1736), noted that stone coffins had been recently discovered on the site where the church once stood.St Helen-on-the-Walls, Aldwark
This church was located on or near the east corner of York's Roman walls. Its site was excavated by the York Archaeological TrustYork Archaeological Trust
The York Archaeological Trust for Excavation and Research Limited is an educational charity, established in 1972 in the City of York. It carries out archaeological investigations, fieldwork, excavation and research in York, Yorkshire and throughout Britain and beyond.It also created and now runs...
in the 1970s, and a number of phases of building or rebuilding were identified. The original church was a small rectangular building, with stone walls that included re-used Roman stones. It seems to have been built in the late 9th or early 10th century. There were four later building phases: a small chancel was added (probably in the 12th century), the chancel was lengthened and the nave walls rebuilt (possibly early fourteenth century), the whole church was rebuilt to make it wider, though the length was the same as the older building (around 1400), and finally, around 1500, the nave was lengthened and the north wall probably rebuilt. In 1549, the parish was added to that of St Cuthbert and the church started to decay. Some remains were still standing in 1580.
St John-del-Pyke, Ogleforth
The church's name relates to the adjacent turnpike (Chapter House Street) that leads to York MinsterYork Minster
York Minster is a Gothic cathedral in York, England and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe alongside Cologne Cathedral. The minster is the seat of the Archbishop of York, the second-highest office of the Church of England, and is the cathedral for the Diocese of York; it is run by...
Yard. It was situated on the north-east side of Ogleforth and was built before 1160. It was enlarged in the fifteenth century but, along with the churchard and rectory
Rectory
A rectory is the residence, or former residence, of a rector, most often a Christian cleric, but in some cases an academic rector or other person with that title...
, it was sold to Archbishop Holgate
Robert Holgate
Robert Holgate was Bishop of Llandaff and then Archbishop of York . He recognised Henry VIII as leader of the Church of England....
in 1553, probably becoming part of the nearby Archbishop Holgate's School
Archbishop Holgate's School
Archbishop Holgate's School is a voluntary aided Church of England, coeducational secondary school in York, England.-Admissions:The school has two main specialist statuses - Science College and Leading Edge. The current headmaster is Andrew Daly...
, and the parish was then united with that of Holy Trinity, Goodramgate.
St Mary, Bishophill Senior
It was demolished 1963. Some monuments and fittings were moved to St Clements, Scarcroft Road, and parts of the fabric were re-used in the Church of The Holy Redeemer, Boroughbridge RoadSt Maurice, Monkgate
Demolished in 1876 and replaced by a new church, which itself was demolished in 1966. Some of its graveyard is still to be seen on the corner of Lord Mayor's Walk.St Nicholas, Lawrence Street
Part of the twelfth-century St Nicholas's Hospital. Survived until the 1644 Siege of YorkSiege of York
The Siege of York in 1644 was a prolonged contest for York during the English Civil War, between the Scottish Covenanter Army and the Parliamentarian Armies of the Northern Association and Eastern Association on the one hand, and the Royalist Army under the Marquess of Newcastle on the other...
, when it was severely damaged by the Parliamentary forces' cannon fire. Lord Fairfax
Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron
Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron , English parliamentary general.-Early life:He was born in Yorkshire the eldest son of Thomas Fairfax, whom Charles I in 1627 created Lord Fairfax of Cameron in the Peerage of Scotland and received a military education in the Netherlands. Two of his...
arranged for its Norman doorway to be re-erected at St Margaret, Walmgate, and the rest of the church's fabric was subsequently re-used or stolen. St Nicholas Fields is an old brickworks and landfill site which now has the St Nicholas Fields Environment Centre situated on it. The nature reserve has a modern stone circle which has used some of the stones from the church.
St Peter-the-Little, Peter Lane
In 1548 it was proposed that the parish should be united with that of All Saints, Pavement, and in the following year the church and churchyard were sold to Miles Newton of York, who in his will dated 10 June 1550, bequeathed to his son "the church ground, churchyarde and walls of the late dissolved church called Peterlayne lyttil in York". Meanwhile, neither the parishioners of St Peter's nor those of All Saints would accept the union of the parishes until in 1583 they finally agreed to a decision to that effect of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, and the church was officially suppressed in 1586.St Wilfrid, Blake Street
The church was suppressed in 1585. The name was revived in 1760 for a Roman Catholic chapel on a different site, and in 1802 this was rebuilt on the site in Duncombe Place where the present Catholic church of St WilfridSt Wilfrid's York
St. Wilfrid's is a Roman Catholic church located in the centre of York, England, in the shadows of York Minster. A Church dedicated to St. Wilfrid has stood in York since medieval times. Catholics call it the "Mother Church of the city of York." It is in Gothic Revival style. The Arch over the main...
eventually replaced it in 1862-4.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in North YorkshireGrade I listed buildings in North YorkshireThere are approximately 372,905 listed buildings in England and 2.5% of these are Grade I. This page is a list of these buildings in the county of North Yorkshire, by district.-Craven:-Hambleton:-Harrogate:-Middlesbrough:-Redcar & Cleveland:...
- List of churches preserved by the Churches Conservation Trust in Northern England
External links
- Victoria County History article
- Campanology site with pictures and information about St Nicholas, St Crux, Holy Trinity King's Square, St Mary Bishophill Senior, St Maurice and St Margaret
- Official All Saints North Street site with images and guide to the stained glass
- St Helen Stonegate official site. Includes sections on the history, architecture, glass and organ
- St Martin Coney Street official site
- St. Mary Bishophill Junior, Parish Church Website
- St. Clement Parish Church Website