Heritage Open Days 2022

Our church will be open to all to discover for the forthcoming Heritage Open days.

You are welcome to join us for free refreshments if you visit on Wednesday 14th September at our ‘Place of Welcome’ 1 – 3 pm and on Sunday 18th September you are invited join us for worship at 10.30 am.

We’ll also be open 10am – 4pm on Saturday 17th September and 12noon until 4pm on Sunday when we hope to have a range of musical and poetic performances.

We look forward to welcoming you!

More details at https://www.heritageopendays.org.uk/visiting/event/central-methodist-church-york3

My stories about Central

Major repairs to the roof and masonry of the chapel, joinery and plaster repairs to the chapel ceiling have now been successfully completed which is a huge step forward in the church’s vision to make the city centre buildings on St Saviourgate into a place of welcome for all.


Angie Creswick was interviewed about the project by Jonathan Cowap on BBC Radio York on Wednesday 27 th July at 11.15 am, you can listen to it on BBC Sounds.


The church is continuing it’s work on plans to bring the large chapel basement back into use and improve the entrance and circulation within the chapel and ancillary buildings as part of their commitment to offer generous hospitality.


Please share your memories about events, activities and people at Central that our wider community might be interested in! We’ve set up a dedicated email, yorkmethodiststories@gmail.com

  • Did you know Central was a canteen for service men and women during the second world war. Did you have family members involved in the theatrical group or who served food?
  • Have you been involved in work over the years to repair and adapt the buildings at Central. There are over 40 boxes of uncatalogued archived papers stored in the Borthwick, could you help us tell the continuing story of change to meet current and future needs?
  • Do you know something about faith stories associated with the memorials on the walls under the chapel gallery e.g. what compelled David Hill in the 1800’s to go to China to serve as a missionary during a time of famine and how are we be called today? Do you have recollections about the ‘Tools for Africa’ initiative in Central’s basement?
  • Do you have recollections about Carecent when it was first set up over 30 years ago or more recent experience of the lives changed through this important outreach?
  • How does singing familiar hymns accompanied by a large pipe organ help us connect to the hope that our faith gives us?
  • Does the story of non-conformity in York in the 1800’s inform us about injustice both then and now and how has Central’s location in the city centre helped us to speak out for and serve the powerless?

Central Methodist Church will be open for visitors for the Heritage Open Days 17th & 18th September 10-4 and 12-4. This year’s theme is Inventions, innovations and discoveries

Repair work complete!

The future of one of York’s most iconic buildings the Central Methodist Church on St Saviourgate has been secured by a government culture grant of over £430,000 towards the  repair the Grade ll* listed building.

The funding will not only cover 80 per cent of the cost of major repairs to the roof and masonry of the chapel but also provide a huge step forward in the church’s ambitions to make the city centre buildings at St Saviourgate into a place of welcome for the city and community. 

The chapel, originally built in 1840 to mark 100 years of Methodism, and designed by James Simpson of Leeds to seat 1,500 people, includes a balcony with original box pews and a large historic pipe organ. Ancillary spaces are used extensively during the week by community groups.

The church’s vision aims to transform Central into a city centre space for the whole community seven days a week. The proposals, costed at around £6m, will enhance and adapt the building, updating facilities and bringing the chapel basement into use in order to secure the future use of the building as an events venue and home to community groups.

As well as  being home to a worshipping congregation  Central already provides premises for two local charitable organisations – Carecent, a breakfast centre for homeless, unemployed and otherwise socially excluded members of our community operates from the building six days a week, and Kyra Women’s Project, which offers help to local women to make positive change in their lives, offering a range of courses, therapies, life skills and events for women.

The church is part of the Place of Welcome network, a growing network of local community groups providing their neighbourhoods with places where people feel safe to belong, connect and contribute. The church runs a ‘Place of Welcome’ initiative three afternoons a week where anyone can come for a warm drink and a chat and, in addition to weekly services in the chapel, once a month hosts Bread Church where participants bake and eat bread while exploring the Christian faith together.

The roofing work has been carried out by a York company Pinnacle Conservation which specialises in heritage restoration and conservation. Work is now complete.

Overseeing the project with conservation architect Susan Amaku is York-based  Angie Creswick. She comes from a project management background and as York Circuit Resources Manager assists Methodist churches in the York area with their buildings.

“Central Methodist Church is a substantial historic building with a small but determined congregation who seek to use their building as a place of welcome for all,” she says.

“In addition to church services the church runs a ‘Place of Welcome initiative three afternoons a week where anyone can come for a warm drink and a chat. Carecent, a breakfast centre for homeless, unemployed and otherwise socially excluded members of our community operates from the building six days a week. Kyra Women’s Project operates from the premises and a wide range of community groups use the building for events and activities.”

The church congregation, which is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the building have not been able to fund major repairs to the Grade ll* listed building. 

Angie Creswick explained: “The chapel’s roof was causing serious concern with the original 1840 slate delaminating, slipped tiles, damp roof timbers, water leaks adjacent to the historic pipe organ and a risk of further damage to the ornate plaster ceiling.

“Significant cracks in the wall masonry urgently needed repair and a programme of masonry repointing and exterior redecoration was overdue.”

Local contractor Pinnacle Conservation Ltd is carrying out the work which includes strengthening of roof timbers and installation of a breathable membrane, roof re-slating and lead work, masonry repairs and repointing, joinery repairs and redecoration to the windows, repair and upgrading of gutters and downpipes to handle extreme weather events, installation of a safe access system to assist with future maintenance and an inspection and stabilisation of the most vulnerable sections of the chapel ceiling.  The project has also provided the opportunity for apprentices working with Pinnacle to receive training and experience in joinery, masonry and roofing. The apprenticeship schemes are designed to encourage the development of skills within the heritage sector.

In addition, the Methodist Church, as part of their commitment to climate justice, has taken the opportunity to fund installation of roof insulation and thus reduce their carbon footprint.

Angie Creswick said: “The project has safeguarded this important chapel as a place of worship and community welcome in the heart of York.”

“The church is working on plans to bring the large chapel basement back into use and improve the entrance and circulation within the chapel and ancillary buildings as part of their commitment to offer generous hospitality.”

THE FUNDING

The major grant from The Programmes of Major Works scheme consists of a total of £430,219 from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), administered by Historic England.

Other funders include Yorkshire Historic Churches Trust, The Trustees for Methodist Church Purposes, the York Methodist Circuit, Yorkshire North and East Methodist District. The local Methodist church congregation has also contributed.

The Programmes of Major Works scheme is part of the Culture Recovery Fund, the Government’s support package to protect the country’s cultural, arts and heritage organisations. 

Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries said: “From local churches to ancient buildings and landscapes, the UK’s unique heritage makes our towns, cities and villages stronger, more vibrant and helps bring communities together. This latest funding – £35m from our unprecedented Culture Recovery Fund – will help protect sites including Jane Austen’s House and Hampton Court Palace for future generations.”

Same-sex marriage at Central

A few weeks ago the main intention of the church council meeting at Central was to engage in further conversation about the Methodist Church Marriage and Relationships report and to make decisions regarding same-sex marriages taking place at the church.

We are delighted that the church council voted unanimously both in favour of giving consent for the solemnization of marriages of same-sex couples, and to apply to register the building accordingly, and in favour of giving consent for the blessing of marriages of same-sex couples previously solemnized. The full resolutions are available in the church council minutes.

Please feel free to get in touch with our ministers David Bidnell and/or Judith Stoddart if there are matters arising from this that you would like to talk through.

Government’s Culture Recovery Fund – Heritage Stimulus grant

We’re very pleased to share that we are due to receive a very generous grant from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

This money will cover 80% of the cost of major repairs to the roof and masonry of our Grade II* listed chapel. It’s a huge step towards our larger ambitions for our buildings on St Saviourgate.



Work is due to happen over this winter and spring, but worship and all room bookings will be unaffected. More details to follow soon.


Massive thanks to all who have worked with us to make this possible.