St Denys' Church, York is a
Grade I listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...
parish church
A parish church (or parochial church) in Christianity is the Church (building), 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 com ...
in the
Church of England
The Church of England (C of E) is the State religion#State churches, established List of Christian denominations, Christian church in England and the Crown Dependencies. It is the mother church of the Anglicanism, Anglican Christian tradition, ...
on
Walmgate
Walmgate is a street in the city centre of York, in England. During the Medieval period, the street was the site of a seafish and cattle market. Walmgate Bar was involved in the Siege of York in 1644, during the First English Civil War. During ...
in
York
York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...
.
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 Roman civilization
*Epistle to the Romans, shortened to Romans, a letter w ...
temple (the earliest records date from ). Inside some of the earliest
stained glass
Stained glass refers to coloured glass as a material or art and architectural works created from it. Although it is traditionally made in flat panels and used as windows, the creations of modern stained glass artists also include three-dimensio ...
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 9th and 10th centuries
** People or things connected with the Norma ...
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 branc ...
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. Spire ...
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
St Ebbe's is a Church of England parish church in central Oxford, named after the seventh-century abbess Æbbe of Coldingham
Æbbe, also called Tabbs, ( – 683) was an Anglian abbess and noblewoman. She was the daughter of Æthelfrith, kin ...
.
References
External links
St Denys Walmgate - York City Centre ChurchesSt Denys, York- A Church Near You
{{DEFAULTSORT:York, St Denys' Church
Denys
Denys () is both a form of the given name Denis and a patronymic surname. Amongst others, it is a transliteration of the common Ukrainian name ''Денис''. Closely related forms are ''Denijs'' and ''Dénys''. Notable people with the name includ ...
Denys
Denys () is both a form of the given name Denis and a patronymic surname. Amongst others, it is a transliteration of the common Ukrainian name ''Денис''. Closely related forms are ''Denijs'' and ''Dénys''. Notable people with the name includ ...
Burial sites of the House of Percy
Walmgate