Heslington Church facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Heslington Church |
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St Paul's Church, Heslington
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| Location | York |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Website | Heslington Church |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Paul |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed |
| Architect(s) | --?-- (1858); Ronald Sims (1970s) |
| Years built | 1858 |
| Specifications | |
| Capacity | 250 |
| Bells | 2 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | Heslington |
| Deanery | York |
| Archdeaconry | York |
| Diocese | Diocese of York |
| Province | Province of York |
Heslington Church is a special place of worship located in the village of Heslington, close to York, England. It serves the people living in the village, nearby housing areas, and even some farms. The church also welcomes students and staff from the University of York, which has a campus in Heslington.
What makes Heslington Church unique is that it's a "local ecumenical partnership." This means two different Christian groups, the Church of England and the Methodist Church, work together and share the same building. This partnership started in 1971. Before that, there were two separate churches: Saint Paul's Church and Heslington Methodist Chapel. Now, they are one church called Heslington Church. The old Methodist Chapel is now used as a meeting room for the village.
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History of Heslington Church
The first records of Heslington parish go all the way back to 1299. For many years, until 1842, the church was under a special rule called "peculiar jurisdiction." This meant it was not directly controlled by the local bishop. Instead, it was managed by the Prebend of Ampleforth. In 1842, the Archbishop of York took over this role.
Building Changes Over Time
The church building you see today was first built in 1858. From the south side, it still looks like a traditional Victorian church. However, it was greatly changed in the 1970s by an architect named Ronald Sims. He removed the old north wall. In its place, he added new meeting rooms, a vestry (a room for clergy), and a kitchen.
The old choir and sanctuary (the area around the altar) now form a separate small chapel. The main part of the church where people sit was changed to face a new altar on the north side. Sims's design used modern materials like exposed breeze blocks and concrete. Not everyone liked this new style. Today, the building is a Grade II listed building, which means it's recognized as an important historic building.
Joint Church Leadership
Because Heslington Church is a partnership, both the Church of England and the Methodist Church have their own leaders here. The Anglican vicar is Reverend Adam Romanis. He is also the vicar of St. Lawrence's Church on Lawrence Street in York. The Methodist Church is represented by John Schofield, who is also the Methodist chaplain for the University of York. The church uses a special combined service book that they wrote together.
Services and Meetings
Sunday services at Heslington Church happen every week at 10:00 AM. Besides the regular meetings during the week, the church also hosts different groups from the University of York.
