Church Of Holy Trinity

Church of Holy Trinity, York

Parish church, now redundant. The building comprises an early 12th-century nave and late 12th-century chancel, with a 13th-century south-east chapel, early 14th-century south aisle, and 13th and 14th-century south arcade. The north aisle and north arcade date to the early 15th century, as does a south chapel dedicated to St James. A late 15th-century tower was added, with a vestry constructed in 1792 and enlarged in 1823. The north side was rebuilt in 1823, and a south porch added in 1849. The building underwent restoration in 1973-4.

The structure is built of coursed squared limestone with some rebuilding and patching in brick; the south aisle is partly timber-framed. Roofs are of tile and pantile. The vestry is brick, some re-used, laid in irregular English garden-wall bond with a slate roof and brick stack.

The plan consists of a 2-bay aisled chancel continuous with a 2-bay aisled nave, with a north vestry, south-east chapel, south chapel of St James, and south porch. The tower is embraced within the west end.

The exterior east end is triple-gabled. The chancel has a shortened east window of five cinquefoiled lights beneath a depressed four-centred head, with a base of an original pilaster buttress to the south and a 15th-century buttress to the north. The south chapel has a renewed angle buttress and a blocked east window with a two-centred head, interrupted by an inserted square-headed window of two cinquefoiled lights in a chamfered tooled surround. A similar square-headed window appears in the east end of the north aisle. The north side features a plain plinth and three square-headed windows, each of three ogee-arched trefoiled lights; a fourth window is blocked by the vestry. The vestry has two 12-pane sash windows and a battered diagonal buttress at the north-west corner.

The gabled south porch has a two-centred arch of two orders, the outer continuous and the inner dying into the structure. The two-centred doorway is double-chamfered on the outside; the interior has a shouldered and corbelled lintel. The door itself is of moulded panelling.

The south-east chapel has restored square-headed windows of three trefoiled lights with foiled reticulated tracery in double hollow-chamfered openings, and two renewed buttresses. St James's chapel displays a moulded plinth, two reset three-light windows between buttresses topped with gabled pinnacles, and a parapet over a moulded eaves string. A three-light east window is set in a depressed four-centred head. A pilaster buttress at the south-west angle rises into a chimney stack with a gabled cap pierced by trefoils.

The three-stage tower sits on a moulded plinth and has a two-centred west window of five cinquefoiled lights with panel-traceried head in a casement moulded surround. The top stage features blocked openings on each face, of twin trefoiled lights with traceried two-centred heads; the blocking is pierced by glazed slits. A string course runs to the top stage, and an embattled parapet crowns the rebuilt saddleback roof. The two-centred west window of the south aisle is of three trefoiled lights with foiled reticulated tracery in the head and a chamfered opening. The north aisle has no west opening. Except where otherwise indicated, buttresses are two-stage.

The interior north arcade comprises four two-centred arches of two chamfered orders, with the outer order broach-stopped, springing from octagonal piers with moulded capitals and bases. At the west end, a fragment of original walling and corbel-table is preserved. At the base of the east respond is a small recess with a trefoiled ogee-arched head.

The south arcade has two arches to the south-east chapel springing from an octagonal pier with a made-up capital composed of fragments of stiff-leaf foliage. The eastern arch is moulded with filleted rolls; the western one is chamfered. The eastern respond is half-octagonal with a moulded capital.

The nave arcade consists of two unequal arches of two chamfered orders, the inner continuously moulded and the outer on run-out stops at the head of the octagonal pier. To the west, the orders die into the tower pier on defaced headstops.

Tower arches are of three moulded and chamfered orders, intersecting at the springing and rising from piers with octagonal nook shafts and moulded capitals.

A wide four-centred arch opens to St James's chapel and consists of two continuously chamfered orders with corbel stops carved as suspended shields of arms. A squint in the wall to the east of the arch provides views to the altar.

Timber-framing is exposed above openings in the south wall. The south-east chapel has a blocked shouldered doorway beneath a window and an aumbry in the south wall. The south wall of St James's chapel contains two large rectangular recesses and a trefoil-headed piscina with an octagonal bowl on a moulded column.

The vestry is approached by a door of raised and fielded panelling and contains a fireplace.

The nave and chancel roof is panelled with moulded and cambered ties and beams. The ceiling of St James's chapel has moulded beams with foliate bosses carved with indecipherable shields.

Fittings include a communion rail of column-on-vase balusters with a bowed centre section, and an oak communion table. A panelled reredos has a bolection-moulded dado beneath Paternoster, Commandment and Creed boards between sunk-panel pilasters. An octagonal pulpit features two tiers of recessed panels to each face and a deep moulded cornice. An octagonal font sits on an octagonal waisted stem and base, with a cover surmounted by a moulded bell finial.

Box pews of 17th and 18th-century panelling with strapwork decoration employ a wide variety of hinges and latches. Hanoverian arms are displayed in St James's chapel. A rectangular board in a moulded frame in St James's chapel records a 1743 benefaction by Mrs Thornhill for the education of poor girls. Two Lord Mayors' boards are sunk-panelled in moulded frames.

The church contains 14th and 15th-century glass.

Monuments include one to Frances, wife of Sir Reginald Graham (1721), possibly by Charles Mitley, in the south-east chapel. In the nave north wall are monuments to James Robert Fryer (1840) and family members, by Fisher of York. The north aisle, north wall, displays two tablets to Rev. James Dallin (1838), one by Fisher of York and one by J Flintoft removed from the demolished Church of St Maurice. The north aisle, west wall, has a tablet to Joseph Smith (1827) and his daughter (1824) by S Bennett of York. The south aisle contains a tablet to Joseph Buckle (1818) and his wife (1834).