St Mary's Church, Castlegate, York is a Grade I listed former

parish church A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish. In many parts of the world, especially in rural areas, the parish church may play a significant role in community activities, ...

in the

Church of England The Church of England (C of E) is the established Christian church in England and the mother church of the international Anglican Communion. It traces its history to the Christian church recorded as existing in the Roman province of Britai ...

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

History

The church is located in Castlegate, an historical street in the centre of

. It dates from the 11th century, but the current building is mostly 15th century. Highwayman

John Nevison John Nevison (1639 – 4 May 1684), also known as William Nevison or Nevinson, was one of Britain's most notorious highwaymen, a gentleman rogue supposedly nicknamed ''Swift Nick'' by King Charles II after a renowned dash from Kent to York to e ...

, who was hanged on the Knavesmire, in March 1684 was buried in an unmarked grave in the churchyard. The church was restored between 1867 and 1870 when the east window was replaced, the church re-roofed and the east end parapet was renewed by

William Butterfield William Butterfield (7 September 1814 – 23 February 1900) was a Gothic Revival architect and associated with the Oxford Movement (or Tractarian Movement). He is noted for his use of polychromy. Biography William Butterfield was born in Lon ...

Organ

Details of the installation of the original organ are not known, but it was repaired at a cost of £45 by Hopkins of Heworth in 1884. A new organ was obtained in 1892 by Abbott & Co. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register. When the church was declared redundant, the organ was moved to St Thomas’ Church, Heigham, Norfolk.

Exhibition space

The church was declared redundant in 1958 and converted by

George Pace George Gaze Pace, (31 December 1915 – 23 August 1975) was an English architect who specialised in ecclesiastical works. He was trained in London, and served in the army, before being appointed as surveyor to a number of cathedrals. M ...

and Ronald Sims for secular use. It now houses

contemporary art Contemporary art is the art of today, produced in the second half of the 20th century or in the 21st century. Contemporary artists work in a globally influenced, culturally diverse, and technologically advancing world. Their art is a dynamic co ...

exhibitions operated by

York Museums Trust York Museums Trust (YMT) is the charity responsible for operating some key museums and galleries in York, England. The trust was founded in 2002 to run York's museums on behalf of the City of York Council. It has seen an increase in annual foo ...

. It has hosted exhibitions by Susan Stockwell, Susan Aldworth, and the

Aesthetica ''Aesthetica Magazine'' is an international art and culture magazine, founded in 2002. Published bi-monthly, it covers contemporary art from around the world, across visual arts, photography, architecture, fashion, and design. It has a reader ...

Art Prize. In 2016 there were 6,906 visitors to exhibitions in the church.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Mary's Church, Castlegate Former Church of England church buildings Mary, Catlegate Church of England church buildings in York York Museums Trust