St Lawrence's Church, York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Lawrence Parish Church, York |
|
|---|---|
St Lawrence viewed from Lawrence Street
|
|
| OS grid reference | SE 61203 51258 |
| Denomination | Church of England |
| Churchmanship | Traditional Anglo-Catholic |
| History | |
| Status | Parish church |
| Dedication | St Lawrence |
| Consecrated | Churchyard 12th-century or earlier – new building consecrated 1883 |
| Architecture | |
| Functional status | Active |
| Heritage designation | Grade II listed (with Grade I listed tower and scheduled monuments in churchyard) |
| Designated | Grade I: 14 June 1954, Grade II: 24 June 1983, Scheduled monument: 24 April 2002 |
| Administration | |
| Parish | St Lawrence with St Nicholas, York |
| Deanery | York Deanery |
| Archdeaconry | Archdeaconry of York |
| Diocese | Diocese of York |
| Province | Province of York |
St Lawrence Parish Church is an active Anglican church located in York, England. You can find it on Lawrence Street, just outside the old city gate called Walmgate Bar. It's a place where people gather for worship and community events.
Contents
A Look at St Lawrence Church's History
The church is named after St Lawrence, a famous Christian saint. The oldest part of the church is its tower, which dates back to the 12th century (that's over 800 years ago!). This ancient tower is still standing in the churchyard today. It is looked after by the Churches Conservation Trust, an organization that helps preserve old churches.
Long ago, the church of St Nicholas was destroyed during the Siege of York. Because of this, its parish (the area it served) joined with St Lawrence. St Lawrence Church itself was also badly damaged, but it was rebuilt around 1660. Some of the church's silver and furniture from that time are still used today.
In 1719, a famous architect named Sir John Vanbrugh got married here. The churchyard also has some interesting old memorials. One is the Rigg Memorial from 1830, built for six children who sadly died in a boating accident. Another is the "medicine pot" memorial from 1820, for Dr Oswald Allen, who helped run a charity called the York Dispensary. These old monuments, along with the tower, are very important and are listed as Grade I heritage sites.
In the 1880s, the old church was taken down to make way for a much bigger building. The new St Lawrence Church is now the second-largest religious building in York, after York Minster. The tall spire was added a few years later, in 1891-1893. It has a special clock that lights up, given in memory of Alderman Robert Fawcett's parents. Inside the church, you can see a beautiful font (a basin for baptisms) from around 1400, which was moved from the old church.
Many of the church's colorful stained glass windows were made by the Knowles family. There's also a very unique window from 1929 that remembers World War I. It shows the Somme battlefield, the city of York, and a knight. The area around the altar was also changed after World War II by a famous craftsman named Robert 'Mousey' Thompson.
The old church tower is a Grade I listed building, meaning it's very important historically. The current 19th-century church is a Grade II listed building.
The Church Bells
In 1999, St Lawrence Church received a set of 8 bells. These bells are used for "change ringing," a special way of ringing bells in patterns. They were given by the bellringers of York to celebrate the new millennium. All the bells were made by John Taylor & Co. Four of them used to hang in a brewery in London! Each bell was given a name on Easter Day in 1999, named after old religious places in the area.
St Lawrence Church Today
St Lawrence has a large Community Hall, which was built in 1935. It's a great space for different activities.
In 2014, the large east window of the church was damaged by strong winds, but it has since been beautifully repaired. Also in 2014, the church became famous online when a video of the "Trololo" song being performed there went viral!
In recent years, the church has seen many improvements. In 2020, a new organ was installed after being moved from another church in York. The church hall has also been completely updated. In 2016, the historic Rigg Memorial was restored. The church also had a big building project in 2016-2017, getting a new heating system and updated wiring and lighting. The church and the York Civic Trust are also working to improve the churchyard, including parking and lighting. These improvements have made the church a popular place for concerts because of its excellent sound.
The church also has special connections with the York Normandy Veterans' group. In 2021, a new memorial window was added to remember them.
Services at St Lawrence
The church has a robed choir that sings during services. Every Sunday, there are three services. St Lawrence is one of only two churches in York that still sings Evensong every Sunday. They also say the Ten Commandments at every Holy Communion service.
Here are the regular services held at the church:
Sunday
- 08:00—Matins (a morning prayer service)
- 08:30—Holy Communion (a special service with bread and wine)
- 10:15—Parish Eucharist (the main Sunday service)
- 18:30—Choral Evensong (an evening prayer service with singing)
Tuesday
- 07:30—Matins
- 12:00—Eucharist, followed by a Social Club
Wednesday
- 12:30—Eucharist
- 19:00—Holy Hour, followed by Mass or Eucharistic devotion
Thursday
- 07:30—Matins
- 18:30—Evensong (led by church members)
Friday
- 07:30—Matins and Communion, followed by a breakfast together
