Former Church of St John the Evangelist

Former Church of St John the Evangelist

This building on Micklegate in York is a church, now in use as an arts centre. It has a complex building history spanning nearly nine centuries.

The earliest part is the lower stage of the tower, dating to the early 12th century. The chancel north arch belongs to the 14th century. In the late 15th century, the north aisle and arcade were remodelled, the west end was extended, and the south aisle and arcade were added. After a partial collapse of the tower, part of the north aisle and arcade were rebuilt in 1551. A new belfry was constructed in 1646.

The building underwent extensive restoration in 1850, when the east end was rebuilt and a south porch was added. This work was carried out by G Fowler Jones. Further restorations followed in 1866, when the nave was re-roofed—this work was undertaken by JB and W Atkinson. Around 1955, further restoration work was completed. The building was converted for use as an arts centre by the University of York Design Unit in the 20th century, and was re-roofed with additional alterations around 1990.

The building is constructed of dressed gritstone and magnesian limestone, with 19th-century work in dressed sandstone. Some 16th-century repairs are in red brick. The belfry is timber-framed with red brick infilling. The main roof is of tile and slate in three parallel spans, and the tower has a tiled pyramidal roof with a wrought-iron finial.

The plan consists of a double-aisled continuous chancel of one bay and nave of three bays, a south porch, and a two-stage internal tower and belfry towards the west end.

The east end is triple-gabled with 19th-century windows replicating the originals. It features a three-light chancel window with cusped intersecting tracery in a two-centred arch beneath a corbel-stopped hood. The north and south aisles have panel-traceried windows—the north aisle with four cinquefoiled lights and the south aisle with three cinquefoiled lights, both in four-centred arches with corbelled hoodmoulds. The north side has angle and intermediate buttresses. Towards the west end on the north side is a doorway in a two-centred arch. Three windows to the east each have three trefoil-headed lights with panel tracery, the easternmost being blocked. At the west end is a window of paired cusped lights, repaired in brick. All openings have chamfered reveals.

The south side has bays separated by offset buttresses with crocketed pinnacles. Towards the west end, a gabled porch projects, featuring a two-centred arch of two roll-moulded orders with decaying moulded capitals, beneath a head-stopped hoodmould. East of the porch are three windows of three cinquefoiled lights and panel tracery in four-centred arched openings, beneath head-stopped hoodmoulds. At the east end is a similar window of two lights. At the west end is a window of two trefoiled lights and panel tracery beneath a flattened arch. Window openings are hollow-chamfered. A sill string course and moulded eaves string run beneath an embattled parapet.

The belfry has square louvred openings to the south and east, with a gabled, louvred lucarne to the south.

The interior has three-bay north and south arcades of two-centred double-chamfered arches with octagonal columns and responds. The responds to the easternmost arch of the north arcade have moulded capitals. Of the remaining arches, the inner order dies into piers, while the outer terminates in elongated block corbels. At the east end of the south arcade is a large opening, probably a squint, with a splayed, chamfered reveal. The east opening beneath the tower is not visible; the north and south arches below the tower are low, two-centred, and continuously chamfered. Above the north and south arches, traces of second-stage window arches of voussoirs remain. To the west is a blocked original window in a deeply splayed and chamfered reveal. West of the tower, the extension rests on two chamfered half arches which act as flying buttresses against the tower's west face. Original panelled ceilings survive in the aisles, with moulded ties and beams, and carved bosses. The nave roof is a 19th-century hammer-beam replacement.

The church contains several monuments. In the north aisle is a keyed, round-headed marble tablet with a winged cherub head beneath, commemorating Nathaniel Wilson (died 1726) and his wife Elizabeth (died 1736). At the east end is an altar tomb said to be that of Sir Richard Yorke (died 1498), with panelled sides of quatrefoils incorporating heraldic shields. The north arcade contains a tablet with bands of guilloche decoration to John Scott (died 1775), and a white marble monument to Christopher Benson (died 1801) and members of his family, signed 'Stead of York'. The south arcade has two cartouches: one to Anne Haynes (died 1747) and the other to Elizabeth Potter, described as a "faithful servant 26 years in one family" (died 1766). The south aisle contains a marble tablet to Luke Thompson (died 1743) and his wife Grace (died 1776). At the east end of the south aisle is a pedimented tablet to Thomas Bennett (died 1773) and his wife Elizabeth (died 1825), featuring a weeping willow leaning over a sarcophagus with a scrolled inscription, signed 'Bennett S.Y.'