York Walks /4

Old St Andrew's Church, Bishopthorpe

Photographed on 8 September 2004

I discovered this very special place during my recent walk to Bishopthorpe. The church was replaced by a newer building, and this old church is basically one remaining wall. But what a wall. Recently restored, to celebrate the new millennium. Old stonework has been added to, with obvious new additions, faithful copies of the older, crumbling stone.

Old stone and new   Old stonework, St Andrew's
Decorative detail – old stone   Decorative detail – newly carved
Detail, stonework   New stonemasonry, old St Andrew's church
Inscription

There's a large cross standing at what I imagine would have been the other end of the church, and underneath it is this inscription (above): "On this spot there stood for centuries the parish church of St Andrew Bishopthorpe. Rebuilt on another site AD 1899."

Silhouette of window   Looking up, church window
Carving – detail   Silhouette of old St Andrew's against summer sky
Cheerful faces, in stonework   Old St Andrew's – carving detail

More information on the church and its history, and the plans for the restoration project, can be found at http://members.lycos.co.uk/Bish_2/bishruinproj.html.

For more information about Bishopthorpe, on this website, see York Walks /4: Riverside walk – Rowntree Park to Bishopthorpe.

There's a section on this website with more photos and notes on churches in York and Yorkshire.