St Mary Bishophill Junior, York is a

Grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

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 Britain ...

, in the

Bishophill Bishophill is an area of central York, in England. It lies within the city walls and has been occupied since at least the Roman period. Etymology Known as "Bichill" by 1334, the name was also recorded as "Bychehill Lomelyth", "Lomelyth" being ...

area of

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 dates from the 10th century with the oldest part being the tower, which reuses some Roman stones. It was heightened in the 11th century, probably before the

Norman Conquest The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Norman, Breton, Flemish, and French troops, all led by the Duke of Normandy, later styled William the Conque ...

,York Civic Trust, ''Bishophill: York'', p.5 and the battlements were added around 1411. The 11th-century nave has a 12th-century north arcade and north aisle. The chancel dates from the 13th century. The font and bells are also mediaeval. The church was restored between 1860 and 1861 by J. B. and W. Atkinson, described by the York Civic Trust as "poorly conceived". The old pews were removed, the floor was raised by 10 inches and concreted. The brick porch was removed, and the wooden window taken out. A stone porch was erected and new windows added. The flat ceilings were removed to reveal the open timber roof. The chancel was renovated by

Ewan Christian Ewan Christian (1814–1895) was a British architect. He is most frequently noted for the restorations of Southwell Minster and Carlisle Cathedral, and the design of the National Portrait Gallery. He was Architect to the Ecclesiastical Commiss ...

, architect of the commissioners.

The pulpit and

reredos A reredos ( , , ) is a large altarpiece, a screen, or decoration placed behind the altar in a church. It often includes religious images. The term ''reredos'' may also be used for similar structures, if elaborate, in secular architecture, for ex ...

were added by

Temple Lushington Moore Temple Lushington Moore (7 June 1856 – 30 June 1920) was an English architect who practised in London. He is famed for a series of fine Gothic Revival churches built between about 1890 and 1917 and also restored many churches and designed c ...

in 1889. The tower was restored in 1980.

Parish status

The church is in a joint parish with All Saints North Street, York.

Organ

The church contained an organ before 1860. During the 1860 restoration, this was turned into a Swell, and a new Great manual of 7 stops was added. In 1921, F. D. Ward of Middlesbrough undertook some repairs and renovation. After 1930, the 1870 organ by Forster and Andrews from the Church of St Mary Bishophill Senior was installed here. The current pipe organ dates from 1864 and was originally made by William Denman for the Spiritualist Church on Spen Lane, York. Later it moved to Freemasons’ Hall and in 1986 Principal Pipe Organs installed it here. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:York, St Mary

Mary Mary may refer to: People * Mary (name), a feminine given name (includes a list of people with the name) Religious contexts * New Testament people named Mary, overview article linking to many of those below * Mary, mother of Jesus, also calle ...

Anglo-Catholic church buildings in North Yorkshire