Think York, think churches. The most famous of all being the Minster. But there are other churches to see in York apart from the Minster, less obvious examples such as St. Helen Stonegate (St. Helen’s Square), St. Martin (Coney Street) and a rather special church, Holy Trinity on Goodramgate.
Goodramgate York
Goodramgate is a famously busy street. Leading from Kings Square at one end to Monk Bar and the city walls at the other, it has routes to St William’s College and the Minster as well as a scenic route to Stonegate. Few would guess that it’s possible to step off the street, through an arch and into a country churchyard, right in the heart of York. The entrance to the churchyard is also of interest, and dates from 18th century with gates dating from 1815.
Holy Trinity history
The church itself is full of stories. If you know where to look.
Holy Trinity is an amalgam of time periods. It was originally a rectory in two parts, rectangular in shape; little survives of this original building apart from a few 12th century traces. The chancel also dates from the 12th century. Much of the present church structure dates from the 15th century, with some features from other periods. The furnishings are mainly from the 17th and 18 centuries.
Box pews at Holy Trinity
One of the most interesting features of the church is its box pews. Of all the York churches Holy Trinity is now the only one with box pews. These are deep enough to hide in, or for sleeping through tedious sermons. When the church was in use, families each had their own pew, the most wealthy being nearer the front. One of the pews at the back of the church was probably saved for those too poor to pay for their own. The pews date from 17-18th centuries.
The hagioscope (or squint) at Holy Trinity
The hagioscope is a rectangular and generously sized gap in the stonework between the main part of the church and St James’ chapel. It enabled the priest in the chapel to see the celebration of mass at the high alter. This type of hagioscope or squint is unique in York.
The alter table and rails at Holy Trinity
What is now the high altar was most likely the table for which £1.16s. was paid in 1739. The table legs are made of oak while the top is pine. Also of interest are the attractive alter rails for which £9.6s. was paid in 1715. The rails have quite distinctive semi-circular gates, designed to provide somewhere for the priest to stand when conducting a marriage service.
The floor at Holy Trinity
The floor at Holy Trinity is at different levels suggesting work done at different periods. On a more sombre note, the church also has a number of 15th century coffins in the north aisle. These may be mort safes rather than coffins, a mort safe being a coffin-shaped storage unit for holding bodies before burial.
The church also has a number of interesting floor slabs, including one inscribed to a John Youle, former mercer and city bailiff (1366-67), and one in memory of William Richardson, Lord Mayor of York in 1671. The latter slab has an amusing and touching inscription.
George Hudson The Railway King
Richardson was not the only York Lord Mayor to have a connection to the church. The church has two boards on the west wall, the shape of which resemble grandfather clocks, and which record the names of some of the city’s Lord Mayors. The second board dates from 1837 and includes on its list George Hudson, three times Lord Mayor of York, and most famously known as The Railway King, for promoting the cause of the railways and bringing them to York. He was a friend and business associate of railway engineer George Stephenson.
George Hudson was married in Holy Trinity on 17 July 1821, and just along the road from the church, on the corner of Goodramgate and College Street, is his former draper’s shop, now a National Trust gift shop.
The church also has some fine examples of stained glass: see, for example, the glass in the east window which dates from 1470-71.
Ghosts at Holy Trinity
York is said to be the "city of a thousand ghosts" (Roberts, A. Ghosts and Legends of Yorkshire, 1992). Surely, with so many ghosts to choose from, one at least haunts Holy Trinity? Apparently so, and the ghost in question is headless.
Details are scant, but one possibility is that the spectre was a Roger Layton, executed in 1469 and whose burial is recorded in the parish registers. Another suggestion is that the ghost is the Earl of Northumberland, convicted of treason and beheaded in 1572 on a scaffold in Pavement. His body was buried in St Crux, York, but his head was put on top of Micklegate Bar. However, in 1574 the head vanished, and the suggestion is that Catholic sympathisers buried it in Holy Trinity.
The grim nature of this story is not, however, reflected in the church or the churchyard which are simply delightful and full of interest. Perhaps it is not ghosts, but merely history which haunts Holy Trinity.
Lady Row York
Emerging back onto Goodramgate after visiting the church is like entering another world. Before heading for one of the many teashops for which York is famous, cast a glance at the nearby building. This is Lady Row, the oldest row of houses (now shops) in York, dating from the 14th century. Proving that when in York, history, tea and the supernatural are never far away.
The Churches Conservation Trust
Classed as a redundant church, Holy Trinity, Goodramgate, York is one of 340 plus churches now cared for by the Churches Conservation Trust. Their churches attract 1.5 million visitors annually. As well as welcoming visitors, Holy Trinity also hosts occasional events.
Sources
- Holy Trinity Church, Goodramgate, York [booklet drawing on a report by Dr Eric Gee]. London: Churches Conservation Trust, 2004.
- Medieval Churches in York [leaflet]. First Stop York, 2004.
- Mitchell, John V. Ghosts of an Ancient City. York: Cerialis Press, [1974?].
- Nuttgens, Patrick. York. London: Studio Vista, 1970.
- York City Centre Churches [leaflet]. CoRE, 2009.
Ellie Stevenson - Ellie writes on history, travel, careers & the arts. Her novel, Ship of Haunts (http://tinyurl.com/cyryp2m) is on Amazon as an ebook.
Join the Conversation