St Mary Church, Bishophill, York

A church I have passed many times but today I was showing some friends from Switzerland around York and as the door was open we had a look inside.

Only a coupleof minutes walk from the hustle and bustle of Micklegate and you can find yourself in the quiet of this 11th century St Mary's Church built just before the Norman conquest. Well worth dropping in.

Marygate Entrance to Museum Gardens

Hapy New Year Everybody!

This is a popular entrance to the gardens particularly for those makingtheir way from Marygate Car Park towards town using the gardens as a shortcut. The entrance is through an archway in what used to be the boundary walls of St Mary's Abbey.

St. Mary's Castlegate

Another of York's redundant City centre churchs, St. Mary's Castlegate is now used for staging art exhibitons. The current installation piece is called "The Memory of Place" and has been extended from the original finish date.

The Memory of Place art Instalation St. Mary's Castlegate

"The Memory of Place" is a piece of installation art commisioned for York St. Mary's and created by Keiko Mukaide. Fire water, glass, stone and light transform the interior of this deconsecrated church to create a spritual space in which to reflect on memory of loved ones. The installation is inspired by a Japanese ceremony "Shoro Nagashi". Visitors are invited to become involved by lighting a votive candle and floating it on the pool to connect modern life with our ancestors.

In mediaeval times there were 40 churchs within the walls of York. Of these 40, only 19 still remain, including St. Mary's Castlegate.