Interesting Places of Worship

York is a historic city in North Yorkshire. It is dominated by its Minster, which is Northern Europe's largest cathedral. The narrow streets of the Shambles still feature original Tudor buildings and are now occupied by small shops and cosy pubs. York has a racecourse, a castle and many other attractions worth visiting.

York Minster (York Cathedral)

Phone: +44 (0)1904 557216

York Minster is the largest Gothic cathedral in northern Europe. Prayer has been offered here for nearly one thousand years. Over two million people visit York Minster every year, whether as a tourist or a pilgrim. From Roman times to the present day the site on which York Minster stands has been at the very centre of England's religious and political life.

St Helen's Church

St Helen's Square, York YO1 8QN

A church has existed on this site since 1235 and included a churchyard which was sold to allow the creation of St Helen's Square with the graves being moved to a small plot nearby on Davygate. So many corpses had been buried in the churchyard that a large mound had begun to accumulate making it difficult for carriages to pass by. The current façade was built in 1875 by William Atkinson a member of one of the most prolific family of York architects of the 18th and 19th centuries.

St Michael-le-Belfrey

11/12 Minster Yard, York YO1 7HH

Phone: +44 (0)1904 624190

Located in the shadow of York Minster, St Michael-le-Belfrey is built on a site upon which a church has been in existence since 1294. It is most famed as being the church in which Guy Fawkes was baptised on 16 April 1570 and the register is permanently on display with his entry illuminated. His family lived nearby on Stonegate and his father is buried here. Its proximity to York Minster is explained by the rule that ordinary people of the Middle Ages were expected to belong to a parish church rather than use the Minster.

St Mary's Abbey

Museum Gardens, York YO1 7FR

William II founded St Mary's Abbey as a Benedictine Monastery in 1088. The abbey receives a mention in Charles Dickens' novel Nicholas Nickleby which refers to a monk living in St Mary's. The abbey was eventually closed by Henry VIII during the dissolution of the monasteries. The world famous York Mystery Plays were performed at the abbey between 1951 and 1988. For those wishing to see more of the remains of St Mary's, the Chapter House archway has been reconstructed inside the nearby Yorkshire Museum.

All Saints Church

Pavement, York, North Yorkshire

Phone: +44 (0)1904 654818 

The tower of All Saints is a unique octagonal feature which traditionally burned a light for travellers making their way through the dense Forest of Galtres to the north of York. One of two churches with the name All Saints, this one was mentioned in the Domesday Book and is the subject of a famous local ghost story. It also boasts a pulpit dating from the 17th century from where John Wesley is said to have preached to the congregation.