Church of All Saints, Pavement

About Church of All Saints, Pavement

All Saints, Pavement is one of several churches in the city listed in the famous Domesday Book of 1086.

Located in the centre of one of York’s earliest paved streets, a place of worship may have existed on the site since the Anglo-Saxon period.

The church was rebuilt towards the end of the 1300s; one of the most striking features is the elegant octagonal lantern tower, added around 1400.

A light was kept burning in the tower at night to help guide travellers to York through nearby marshes and the Forest of Galtres.

In the late 18th century, parts of the church were demolished to enlarge the nearby marketplace.

All Saints has some impressive stained glass by prominent Victorian designer Charles Kempe and several stunning medieval windows, including one containing scenes from the Passion and Resurrection of Christ.

One of many interesting items inside the church is a hexagonal pulpit, once used by John Wesley, a pivotal figure in the establishment of the Methodist movement.

All Saints is also the Guild Church of York – because of its long association with the city’s ancient craft guilds – and where over 30 Lord Mayors are buried.