St Denys' Church, York is a Grade I listed

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 ...

Walmgate Walmgate is a street in the city centre of York, in England. During the Medieval period, the street was the site of a seafissh and cattle market. Walmgate Bar, was involved in the Siege of York in 1644, during the First English Civil War. Durin ...

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

It was built on the site of a Saxon church and possibly of a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

temple (the earliest records date from ). Inside some of the earliest stained glass in York can be found: the sculpted

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norm ...

doorway and 15th century

heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known bran ...

roof are also noteworthy features. The figure of St Denys can be seen in the 15th-century east window – fewer than 40 English churches are dedicated to this French saint. The church was originally a lot larger than it is now, as part of the church subsided after the king's fishpool was drained; another part gave way shortly after as a sewer was being built nearby and the current main entrance is situated where a window used to be. Originally it also had a

spire A spire is a tall, slender, pointed structure on top of a roof of a building or tower, especially at the summit of church steeples. A spire may have a square, circular, or polygonal plan, with a roughly conical or pyramidal shape. Spires a ...

but, unfortunately, between the 17th and 18th century it was hit by a cannon shot and struck by lightning. The spire was only removed 20 years later after being partially blown down. The church was rebuilt in 1798 and then in 1846 - 1847 there were further alterations including the rebuilding of the west end and tower, and north and south arcades under the supervision of the architect Thomas Pickersgill.

Burials

Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland Henry Percy, 3rd Earl of Northumberland, (25 July 1421 – 29 March 1461) was an English magnate. The Earldom of Northumberland was then one of the greatest landholdings in northern England; Percy also became Lord Poynings on his marr ...

Memorials

*Robert Welborn Hotham by Fisher *James Melrose (d. 1837) by Plows *Rev John Walker, Rector, (d. 1813) *Dorothy Wilson (d. 1717)

Organ

The previous pipe organ was built by Thos. S. Hughes of Bradford and dates from 1925. A specification of the organ can be found on the National Pipe Organ Register. In 2017/18 the organ was replaced by the 1879

Father Willis Henry Willis (27 April 1821 – 11 February 1901), also known as "Father" Willis, was an English organ player and builder, who is regarded as the foremost organ builder of the Victorian era. His company Henry Willis & Sons remains in busin ...

organ formerly at St Ebbe's Church, Oxford.

References

External links

St Denys Walmgate - York City Centre ChurchesSt Denys, York
- A Church Near You {{DEFAULTSORT:York, St Denys' Church Denys Denys Burial sites of the House of Percy Walmgate