St Michael's Church, Spurriergate, York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids St Michael’s Church, Spurriergate, York |
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St Michael’s Church, Spurriergate York
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| 53°57′28.1″N 1°4′57.4″W / 53.957806°N 1.082611°W | |
| Location | York |
| Country | England |
| Previous denomination | Church of England |
| History | |
| Dedication | St Michael |
| Architecture | |
| Heritage designation | Grade I listed |
| Designated | 14 June 1954 |
| Style | Decorated Gothic |
| Groundbreaking | Late 12th century |
| Completed | Mid 15th century |
| Closed | 1984 |
| Specifications | |
| Number of towers | 1 |
St Michael's Church is a very old building in York, England. It used to be a parish church for the Church of England. Today, it is a special building because it is a Grade I listed building, which means it is very important and protected for its history and architecture. You can find it on a street called Spurriergate.
Contents
The Story of St Michael's Church
How Old Is It?
St Michael's Church has a long history, going all the way back to the 12th century. That means it was first built over 800 years ago! Some parts of the church you see today were added later, in the 14th and 15th centuries.
Changes Over Time
Over the years, the church building changed. In 1821, it was made a bit smaller by two builders named JB and W Atkinson. They started building a new wall for the east side of the church on January 15, 1821, and finished the work by June 16, 1822.
Later, between 1966 and 1967, the church's tower was made shorter. In 1984, the church was no longer used for regular worship and was officially closed.
A New Purpose
Even though it stopped being a church, the building found a new life! In 1989, it opened again as a restaurant and cafe. When they changed the building, they made sure to keep a small chapel upstairs. This chapel is still used sometimes for special church services.
The Church Clock
On the outside of the church, on the south wall, you can see a painted clock face. The clock's inner workings have a special message: "Reconstructed by G. J. F. Newey in 1896." This tells us it was fixed up in 1896. The clock used to be inside the church tower. But after the tower was made shorter in 1966, the clock was moved to where it is now.
The Church Organs
St Michael's Church once had a large musical instrument called an organ. This organ was made by Denman and Son and was put into the church in 1890. It had many different sounds, with 9 "stops" on one part (the Swell) and 7 on another (the Great). It also had 2 stops for the foot pedals. This organ cost just over £300 back then.
In 1972, this organ was moved to another church called All Saints’ Church in Castleford. The church also had a smaller organ, called a continuo organ, which was built in 1969. This smaller organ was moved in 1973, first to Lund Parish Church, and later to Southwell Minster. You can find detailed information about both organs on the National Pipe Organ Register, which keeps records of organs in Britain.
