All Saints - North Street, York, UK - Medieval Churches on Waymarking.com

The church's website tells us:

The first reference to a church of All Saints in North Street is in 1089, when the patronage of the rectory was granted by a layman, Ralph Paganell, to the Benedictine Priory of the Holy Trinity he had refounded nearby in Micklegate. That a rectory was established at such an early date indicates that a church existed on the site before the Norman Conquest. This early building was probably a simple rectangular structure, which fitted into the central space between the east end of the present chancel and the western aisle of the nave.

As the population on this bank of the Ouse expanded at the end of the 12th-century, an aisle was added to the church. This incorporated fragments of Roman gritstone columns found on the site. In the early 13th century the chancel was reconstructed in the Early English style (receiving an internal decorative arcade), and a second aisle was added, with capitals adorned with the distinctive nailhead decoration of the period. In the first half of the 14th century, as the urban elite of the city began to build their large houses in the parish, the east end was sumptuously rebuilt. The present east windows with Geometric and Curvilinear tracery of the Decorated period of Gothic architecture were installed and the side aisles were extended east to be level with the east wall of the chancel.

The church took on its present form in the late 14th century when the tower and spire were erected, the nave extended and the arcades reconstructed. It is possible that almost the whole of the old church was demolished, leaving only the easternmost bays standing in order that mass might continue at the altars. The tower, octagon and 120 foot spire were the first part of the new work to be constructed, this was underway in 1394 when Richard Byrd gave money in his will to the new fabric. The rest of the building must have been all but complete by about 1410 when work began on glazing the north and south walls (see below). The modest way the arcades were rebuilt, using old material and with minimum detail, suggests that by the 15th century, after the extravagance of the tower and spire, the amount of money available for the work was restricted. In the 1440s the roof was still not complete and although bequests of tiles and lead were made in order that work might proceed 'within a few years' the work was only completed in the 1470s when the lavish ceilings over the chancel and aisles were installed.

By the end of the Middle Ages in addition to the 'high' altar in the chancel, there were at least four and possibly five other altars in the church. We know that one was dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary and was situated in the north 'Lady choir,' where a statue of her was also kept. The altar of St Nicholas was situated in the south choir aisle known as the 'choir of St Nicholas and St Katherine', and two further altars of St Thomas the Martyr and St James the Great, stood in the north and south nave aisles. In addition to these altars there were also a number of lights burning before images. In the early 15th century there was a light before 'our Lady', a 'St Crux' or holy cross light before the rood and a light at the Easter Sepulchre on the north side of the chancel. There may have been as many as eight chantries established at the altars to say mass for the souls of deceased benefactors of the church. We have details of only a few. The earliest was founded in 1324 by John Benge at the altar of our Lady. Two more were founded in 1410, one by William Vescy at the altar of St Thomas the Matryr, and the second by Adam del Bank and John Bawtrie at the altar of St Nicholas. In the early 16th century a number of chantries including that of the Bolton family at the altar of our Lady were amalgamated. Each altar and chantry was individually endowed with all the plate and vestments necessary for a priest to sing mass. William Vescy gave to his chantry two silver vessels to make a chalice and a length of linen cloth to make albs, amices and other vestments. These basics were constantly being augmented through bequests. In the 1455 will of Sir John Cliff, chaplain of Benge's chantry, he gave to his altar 'a red vestment of cloth of gold', and to the altar of St James 'a grey vestment with black orphreys (strips of embroidery) worked with gold, another with red orphreys worked with garters, and all his altar apparel'. The chantries provided All Saints with a clerical staff as large as some of the great collegiate churches. In the early 15th century there were at least three chantry priests, who along with the rector and his assistant the parochial chaplain, ensured that there was a constant supply of masses throughout the day.

The Reformation had an immense impact on All Saints. The multiple altars and their ornamentation were gradually swept away under the reforming legislation of Edward VI and Elizabeth I. The interior was altered beyond recognition, the open spaces in the aisles and choirs being filled with box-pews and the high altar replaced by a railed communion table. The focus of the church shifted from sacrament to word, and from 1675 the present pulpit, part of a double-decker, dominated the interior. The work of maintaining and beautifying the fabric continued as before. In 1695 John Etty constructed a new altarpiece and Mr Graime was paid for 'painting a dove' [the Holy Ghost?] on it. With the medieval altars went the large staff of priests that served them. By the end of the 16th century All Saints was served by a basic provision of rector and lay parish clerk. The living was always poorly endowed, and as early as 1548 there was a plan to amalgamate the parish with that of St John Ousegate and to demolish All Saints. The maintenance of the church fabric and the poor of the parish were supported by charities that generated income from local properties. Some of these properties, including the 15th century row called All Saints cottages, which face the north wall of the church, had probably supported chantries before the Reformation. The income from property was augmented through bequests: Ann Orfeur in 1790 and Dorothy Bowes in 1794 left £100 each to be invested to provide coals for the poor.

The church is a Grade I listed building with the entry at the English Heritage website telling us:

Church and Anchorage attached. C12 nave; part of north and south arcades early C13; east end rebuilt and chancel chapels added in early C14; aisles widened incorporating chancel chapels in early C15; nave and aisles extended westwards and tower with spire added in later C15; chancel and chancel aisles reroofed in late C15; C18 weathervane added to spire. Restorations by JB and W Atkinson 1866-67, during which south aisle was rebuilt and porch and vestry added; 1908, during which the Anchorage was reconstructed by E Ridsdale Tate; further restoration in 1991 by Peter Marshall, Architects.

MATERIALS: magnesian limestone ashlar and squared rubble stone incorporating a number of incised coffin lids; small area of red brick in random bond at west end of north side; parallel roofs tiled, with stone coped gables. Anchorage of shuttered concrete, with planted timber-framing and concrete infilling; roof part tile, part concrete, part asphalt.

PLAN: 7-bay aisled nave and continuous chancel, with embraced tower to west; south porch and vestry. Anchorage attached to south-west corner.

EXTERIOR: triple-gabled east end, centre part flanked by dwarf buttresses, south gable on chamfered plinth; each has pointed window of three foiled lights, the centre one with Decorated tracery, the outer ones with reticulated tracery. To north of the north window is a small niche with a 4-centred head. North side partly on chamfered plinth, with three weathered buttresses, largely restored; entrance in 6th bay from east, in chamfered 2-centred doorway with plain hoodmould. Easternmost window pointed with reticulated tracery reset from east end window, the head cut back by later re-roofing. Remaining windows are square-headed, of 2 or 3 cinquefoiled lights, in renewed hollow-chamfered surrounds. Rebuilt south side incorporates several large fragments on incised coffin lids. Windows are of 3 cinquefoiled lights with chamfered surrounds and mullions, beneath square heads and hoodmoulds. Porch entered from east side through 2-centred chamfered doorway beneath coved hoodmould. At west end, 3-stage tower and spire, flanked by gabled ends of north and south aisles. Tower ground stage square on plan; upper stages octagonal, weathering at base of alternate faces forming bases of slim buttresses. Openwork parapet at base of octagonal spire surmounted by C18 brass weathercock. On tower ground stage, west window is of three cinquefoiled lights in 2-centred head, with, above, an ogee-arched trefoil-headed niche. Second and third stages have windows to each cardinal face: on second stage, windows are of 2 lights in flattened 2-centred head; those on third stage, transomed, of 2 lights. West windows to north and south aisles are 2-centred, of 3 cinque-foiled lights with one tier of panel tracery. In all parts of the church, much window tracery has been renewed. Anchorage: one-and-a-half storeys; 1 bay north front with pent half bay to west. Entrance is C20 board door to south of pent bay. Full bay raised on arch-braced concrete deck, jettied on north side with 4-light oriel window and coved eaves surmounted by embattled cresting. Half bay has single light windows to north and west, and bargeboarded eaves. All windows are trefoil-headed square lattice casements, those in oriel with carved panel tracery and risers carved with roses and foliage. INTERIOR: chancel: double-chamfered jambs of east window original, incorporating carved demifigure at each side, at springing point of inner chamfer. In chancel north wall, square-headed aumbry of paired trefoil-headed niches. In south-east corner 2 bays of C12 wall arcade survive, of trefoil-headed niches on attached shafts with bell capitals, in 2-centred arches separated by continuous band of dogtooth moulding. North and south arcades of 2-centred arches, either single or double chamfered, some chamfers slight, some broad. Piers and responds mainly octagonal, the easterly with square abaci, hollow-chamfered underneath, the westerly with octagonal capitals and square abaci with crudely broached angle stops. Three piers earlier. One in north arcade is monolithic Roman column shaft re-used with roll-moulded base and square abacus, hollow-chamfered on under side; second one in north arcade is cylindrical with necking, bell capital carved with nailhead moulding and chamfered round abacus, on double roll-moulded base. In south arcade, one pier is cylindrical with necking, hollow-chamfered capital and square abacus, on water-holding, double roll-moulded base. Third pier from east in north arcade has tonsured demifigure corbel supporting a polygonal shelf on west face. Tower arches are hollow-chamfered and die into octagonal and half-octagonal piers and responds on square bases with crude broach stops. In north wall beneath tower is small pointed chamfered doorway leading to newel stair, corbelled out over north-west corner. South doorway within porch is pointed arch of one continuous order, roll-moulded on each side of band of nailhead moulding. In west wall of south aisle are two square chamfered openings, one blocked, connecting with former anchorage. Roofs. Chancel and three eastern bays of north and south aisles have 6 trusses of arch-braced moulded principals on angel-corbelled hammerbeams, with moulded collars and purlins, and carved bosses. Wall plates finished with embattled cresting. In north aisle, three corbels, wall posts and chamfered wall plate survive from earlier roof. STAINED GLASS: the Church is notable for containing the finest collection of medieval glass in York, mostly C15, outside York Minster (qv).

FITTINGS: include: chancel screens by E Ridsdale Tate, of 1906. Hexagonal pulpit with painted decoration, dated Anno Dom. 1675. Medieval octagonal bowl font on octagonal stem with moulded foot. C18 Benefaction, Commandment, Credence and Mayoral Boards. Sculpture: by tower south pier, carved female head with traces of paint; round stoup on square block. Carvings: misericorde in Chancel, carved with pelican in piety, and the monogram and arms of John Gilyot, Rector 1467-72/3; image of King David playing the harp, possibly from C18 reredos.

MONUMENTS: include a cartouche to John Etty, d.1709, on south aisle wall. Floor slab variously to John Stoddart, Rector, inducted March 1593, to Joan Stoddart, d.1599; to James, son of Thomas Pennyman, d.1699, and Esther, wife, 1745. Black marble floor slab to Joshua Witton, d.1674. Brasses include: black lettered plate to William Stockton, d.1471, and Robert Colynson, d.1458, both Lord Mayors of York, and to Isabella, widow of Robert Colynson, second wife of William Stockton, set in floor slab to John Wardall; plate inscribed to Thomas Clerk, d.1482, and wife Margaret, set in marble floor slab with Evangelists' symbols (one missing). Wall plates to Thomas Askwith, d.1609, and wife Anne; and to Charles Townley, d.1712.