All Saints North Street
York, Yorkshire
Tucked away from York's busy city centre, near the river Ouse and next to a row of picturesque 15th century timber framed houses, lies this fine medieval Anglo Catholic church.
Regarded by the Victorians as one of the most beautiful churches in the city, St Martin's was burnt out in World War II, in bombing known as the 'Baedeker raids' for targeting historic cities. Only the tower and the south aisle survived.
After extensive rebuilding, the church was rehallowed as a chapel of peace and reconciliation, and a walled garden was created from the remaining shell.
Some strikingly modern elements have taken their place alongside the old. A suitably fiery east window depicting the burning of the church soars above a gold painted aluminium sculpture of the Last Supper, the figures angular and twisted.
The old west window remains. Dating from about 1440 and the largest of any parish church in York, it was fortunately removed into store in 1940 for protection and reinstated in the new north wall in 1967 as part of the triumphant restoration.
