St Crux Church, York facts for kids
St Crux is a special building in York, England. It's used as a parish hall today, but it used to be a very old church from the Middle Ages. Some parts of the original church are still there!
Contents
The Story of St Crux
The St Crux building is located on a street called Pavement in York. You can enter it from The Shambles, and it's also near a street called Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate.
Early Beginnings
The church of St Crux was first mentioned in a very old book called the Domesday Book. This book was like a big survey of England made in 1086. Back then, St Crux belonged to a powerful person called the Count of Mortain. Later, it became part of St Mary's Abbey, which was a large monastery.
Rebuilding and Changes
The church was rebuilt between 1402 and 1424. During this time, builders even put an old Saxon carved stone into its north wall. Later, in 1697, the church's tower was rebuilt. A historian named Francis Drake said the new tower was "handsome" and made of brick and stone.
A Famous Lost Church
Even though St Crux was seen as one of York's most beautiful churches, it started to fall apart by the 1800s. It closed in 1880, and its local area joined with All Saints' Church. There were plans to fix it, but instead, it was torn down in 1887. Many people, including a group called the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, were against this. The tower was so strong that they even had to use dynamite to bring it down! People in York still remember St Crux as a famous lost church.
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The Parish Hall Today
In 1888, a new building called a parish hall was built right where the old church stood. The builders were clever and reused many parts from the old church. They used much of its north wall and a beautiful large window from the east side. Inside the hall, you can still see many old memorials and items from the original church. Important people buried here include Thomas Percy, 7th Earl of Northumberland, Sir Thomas Herbert, and two former Lord Mayors of York, Thomas Bowes and Robert Welles.
The St Crux building was given a special protection status in 1954, called "grade II* listed". This means it's a very important historic building. Today, it's used as a tea room where people can relax, and it also hosts markets for charities.
