Holy Redeemer Church, York facts for kids
The Holy Redeemer Church is a special building located on Boroughbridge Road in the Acomb area of York, England. It's a place of worship with a fascinating history and unique design.
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Discovering Holy Redeemer Church
This church isn't just any building; it's known for its interesting architecture. It stands out in the city of York.
A Brief History
The very first church building here was quite simple. It was made of brick and finished in 1938. Today, this older building is used as the church hall. It's connected to the newer church, which sits right behind it. The main church you see now was built between 1959 and 1965. It was designed by a famous architect named George Pace.
What Makes It Special?
The Holy Redeemer Church is unique because it uses parts from another old church. This other church, called St Mary, Bishophill Senior, was taken down. The south wall of Holy Redeemer Church is built with stone from St Mary's. It even includes Mediaeval (very old) windows. These windows are arranged differently from how they were in the original building.
The other walls of the church are made of brick. The south wall also has a Gothic window from the 1800s. There's a brick clock tower too. This tower sits above a small chapel. This chapel was designed for smaller services during the week.
Inside the Church
When you enter the church, you walk through a doorway from the late 1100s. Inside, the church has a wide main area called a nave. It also has two narrow side areas called aisles. The south arcade (a row of arches) inside the church came from St Mary's. Some parts of it are from around 1200, and others are from the late 1200s.
Above the altar, there is an iron cross. This cross includes an Anglo-Saxon carved stone. Other Saxon carved stones are also found in the church. Most of these are pieces of old crosses. You can see them in the pulpit and built into the walls. The York Civic Trust once said these were "all the interesting parts" of the old St Mary's church.
A Recognized Landmark
A well-known expert named Nikolaus Pevsner once said that the Holy Redeemer Church was "probably the best post-war building in the city." This means he thought it was the best building constructed in York after World War II. Because of its special design and history, the church was given a special status in 1998. It became a Grade II listed building. This listing helps protect important historic buildings in England.
