St Denys's Church, York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Denys Church, York |
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St Denys Church, York
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| 53°57′26.27″N 1°4′34.61″W / 53.9572972°N 1.0762806°W | |
| OS grid reference | SE 60713 51574 |
| Location | York |
| Country | England |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Denys |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Administration | |
| Parish | York St Denys |
| Deanery | York |
| Archdeaconry | York |
| Diocese | Diocese of York |
| Province | Province of York |
St Denys' Church in York is a very old and important church. It is a Grade I listed building, which means it's considered a special historic place. It belongs to the Church of England and is located on Walmgate street.
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History of St Denys Church
This church was built where an even older Saxon church once stood. Some people even think a Roman temple might have been there before that! We know about it from records going back to around 1154.
Inside, you can see some of York's oldest stained glass windows. There's also a beautiful Norman doorway with carvings. The roof, built in the 1400s, is decorated with special symbols called heraldry. Look for the figure of St Denys in the big east window, which is also from the 1400s. Not many churches in England are named after this French saint – fewer than 40!
Changes to the Church Building
The church used to be much bigger than it is today. Part of it sank after a nearby "king's fishpool" was drained. Another section collapsed later when a sewer was being built. The main entrance you see now was actually a window before these changes.
Originally, St Denys' Church also had a tall spire. But between the 1600s and 1700s, it was damaged. It was hit by a cannonball and then struck by lightning! The spire was finally removed about 20 years later after strong winds blew part of it down.
The church was rebuilt in 1798. Then, between 1846 and 1847, more changes were made. The west end and tower were rebuilt, along with the north and south arcades. An architect named Thomas Pickersgill oversaw these updates.
Church Organ
The church used to have a pipe organ built by Thos. S. Hughes of Bradford in 1925. This organ was replaced more recently.
In 2017 and 2018, a different organ was installed. This new organ was built in 1879 by a famous organ maker known as Father Willis. It was moved to St Denys' Church from St Ebbe's Church, Oxford.
Notable Burials
Images for kids
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St Denys Church, York
