Holy Trinity Church is a real find – if you can find it! Out of sight of nearby Goodramgate its secluded peaceful churchyard is just a stone’s throw from one of York’s main shopping streets. It is accessed via an 18th-century brick archway adjoining buildings whose original role seven centuries ago was as artisans’ workshops.
A 15th Century Building on 12th Century Foundations
The church is a Grade I listed building and dates from between 1250 and the late 15th century but shows some elements from its 12th-century foundation. Only minimal alteration has been undertaken since the 18th century.
Hidden Gem behind Our Lady’s Row
A deed was granted in 1316 to build dwellings known as Our Lady’s Row within the churchyard space plus a separate house for the Chantry Priest, the rental income to be used for church maintenance and to endow a chantry fund of the Blessed Virgin in the church. Our Lady’s Row, a significant gem of architecture, consequently blocks the view of the church from the street making it a real hidden treasure. In 1827 a motion was fortunately overturned that would have otherwise demolished the historic Our Lady’s Row and exposed Holy Trinity’s sheltered churchyard to all the passing bustle of Goodramgate. However, the derelict former Chantry Priest’s house was demolished.
The church has points of great architectural and historical interest. Inside, its strangely comforting dimness can be suddenly lifted from light streaming through the windows dappling the honey-gold stone of the plain walls with flashes of colours. The setting is typical post Reformation. The simple font dates from the 15th century while the pulpit dates from 1695. The floors and arches are quaintly uneven and the 17th-century box pews are rare and unique to York.
Stained Glass Window Dating Back To 1470
The late medieval stained glass east window of late Perpendicular style dates back to 1470 and was gifted to the church by its then rector the Reverend John Walker. Among those depicted in the window are St George and St Christopher, among other saints, plus heraldic shields; the centre panel portrays God as the Trinity holding the dead Christ while the donors, including Reverend Walker, are positioned at the foot.
Everybody Welcome, Even Lepers
The church contains an inner chapel; this was once isolated from the main body of the church to allow lepers to participate in services and see the altar using a squint hole in the wall. Part of the Chancel dates back to the 12th century; the Tower and North Aisle were built in the early 15th century. Plaques, shaped like grandfather clocks, honour previous Lord Mayors of York including George Hudson, York’s ‘Railway King’.
In his Guide to English Churches, John Betjeman said that Holy Trinity Church’s exterior ‘is a delightful medley of different materials, colours and textures, many due to parsimonious repairs in the past’.
Only By Candlelight
There is no gas, electricity or running water in Holy Trinity Church, but candlelight bestows a mellow atmosphere on the ancient building transporting you back in time. This church and its haven of a churchyard made for relaxing and contemplating, remain a vital need among the modern-day rush.
Holy Trinity Church was declared redundant in1971 and has been in the care of The Churches Conservation Trust since 1972.
Parish church, now redundant. Early C12 nave and late C12 chancel; C13 south-east chapel, early C14 south aisle, and C13 and C14 south arcade; early C15 south chapel, north aisle and north arcade; late C15 tower; 1792 vestry, enlarged 1823; north side rebuilt 1823; south porch 1849. Restored 1973-4.
MATERIALS: coursed squared limestone; some rebuilding and patching in brick; south aisle partly timber-framed; tile and pantile roofs. Vestry of brick, some re-used, in irregular English garden-wall bond with slate roof and brick stack. PLAN: 2-bay aisled chancel continuous with 2-bay aisled nave; north vestry; south-east chapel, south chapel of St James, and south porch; embraced west tower.
EXTERIOR: east end is triple-gabled. Chancel has shortened east window of 5 cinquefoiled lights beneath depressed 4-centred head; to south, base of original pilaster buttress, to north C15 buttress. South chapel has renewed angle buttress and blocked east window with 2-centred head broken by inserted square-headed window of two cinquefoiled lights in chamfered tooled surround. Similar square-headed window in east end of north aisle. North side has plain plinth and 3 square-headed windows each of 3 ogee-arched trefoiled lights; fourth window blocked by vestry. Vestry has two 12-pane sash windows and battered diagonal buttress at north-west corner. On south side, gabled porch has 2-centred arch of 2 orders, the outer continuous, the inner dying: 2-centred doorway is double chamfered outside, inside has shouldered and corbelled lintel; door is of moulded panelling. South-east chapel has restored square-headed windows of 3 trefoiled lights with foiled reticulated tracery in double hollow chamfered openings; two renewed buttresses. St James' chapel has moulded plinth, two reset 3-light windows between buttresses with gabled pinnacles, and parapet over moulded eaves string: 3-light east window in depressed 4-centred head. Pilaster buttress at south-west angle rises into chimney stack with gabled cap pierced by trefoils. Buttressed 3-stage tower on moulded plinth has 2-centred west window of 5 cinquefoiled lights with panel-traceried head in casement moulded surround. Top stage has blocked opening to each face, of twin trefoiled lights with traceried 2-centred heads, the blocking pierced by glazed slits. String course to top stage, and embattled parapet to rebuilt saddleback roof. 2-centred west window of south aisle is of 3 trefoiled lights with foiled reticulated tracery in the head and chamfered opening. North aisle has no west opening. Except where indicated otherwise, buttresses are 2-stage.
INTERIOR: north arcade of four 2-centred arches of two chamfered orders, outer order broach-stopped, on octagonal piers with moulded capitals and bases. At west end, a fragment of original walling and corbel-table is preserved. At base of east respond is small recess with trefoiled ogee-arched head. South arcade has two arches to south-east chapel springing from octagonal pier with made-up capital of fragments of stiff-leaf foliage: eastern arch is moulded with filleted rolls, western one chamfered; eastern respond is half-octagonal with moulded capital. Nave arcade is of 2 unequal arches of two chamfered orders, the inner continuously moulded, the outer on run-out stops at head of octagonal pier: to west, orders die into tower pier on defaced headstops. Tower arches are of three moulded and chamfered orders, intersecting at the springing, and rising from piers with octagonal nook shafts and moulded capitals. Wide 4-centred arch to St James's chapel is of two continuously chamfered orders with corbel stops carved as suspended shields of arms: squint in wall to east of arch. Timber-framing is exposed above openings in south wall. South-east chapel has blocked shouldered doorway beneath window and aumbry in south wall. South wall of St James's chapel contains two large rectangular recesses and trefoil-headed piscina with octagonal bowl on moulded column. Vestry approached by door of raised and fielded panelling: fireplace. Roofs: nave and chancel roof panelled with moulded and cambered ties and beams; ceiling of St James's chapel has moulded beams with foliate bosses carved with indecipherable shields.
FITTINGS: include: communion rail of column-on-vase balusters with bowed centre section. Oak communion table. Panelled reredos with bolection- moulded dado beneath Paternoster, Commandment and Creed boards between sunk-panel pilasters. Octagonal pulpit with two tiers of recessed panels to each face and deep moulded cornice. Octagonal font on octagonal waisted stem and base, and cover with moulded bell finial. Box pews of C17 and C18 panelling with strapwork decoration and utilising wide variety of hinges and latches. Hanoverian arms in St James's chapel. Rectangular board in moulded frame in St James's chapel, recording 1743 benefaction by Mrs Thornhill for education of poor girls. Two Lord Mayors' boards, sunk panelled in moulded frames. C14 and C15 glass.
MONUMENTS: south-east chapel: Frances, wife of Sir Reginald Graham, 1721, possibly by Charles Mitley. Nave north wall: James Robert Fryer, 1840, and members of family, by Fisher, York. North aisle, north wall: two tablets to Rev. James Dallin, 1838, one as above by Fisher, York, one by J Flintoft removed from demolished Church of St Maurice. North aisle, west wall: tablet to Joseph Smith, 1827, and daughter, 1824, by S Bennett, York. South aisle: tablet to Joseph Buckle, 1818, and wife, 1834.