11. St Martin-le-Grand Church, Coney Street, York

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[Author and photographer © Dr Phil Brown PhD plus notes help from AI these days, page updated May19th 2026]

Five Steps Towards Forgiveness, by Jean Vanier. The church of St Martin le Grand is a most special and quiet place to exit the busy tourist schedule for a few minutes of reflection, especially if the all too typical news headlines are still in your mind.  The organ was a gift from the German Government as a token of reconciliation and there is a memorial to people who died in the 1942 air raids on York AND the German airmen who also died.

 PLEASE leave a DONATION to help in the upkeep of this lovely old church

St Martin-le-Grand Church: Only the tower, entrance and south aisle survive from the once much larger church of St Martin le Grand, enlarged in the 15th century, but services are still performed here its now restored state. The building was badly damaged by German bombing in the 2nd World War but enough of the medieval stonework survives and stained glass survives to make it worth a visit. The medieval remnants largely consist of the 15th century Perpendicular tower (~1437) and the 14th century south aisle, south arcade and the south part of the nave. The churches foundation probably pre-dates the Norman Conquest.

St Martin-le-Grand Church: The iconic clock at the east end of St Martin le Grand

St Martin-le-Grand Church: What remains of St Martin-le-Grand is mainly 15th century though it is pre-Norman Conquest in origin. The tower was completed in 1437.

St Martin-le-Grand Church: The Great West window is considered one of the finest 15th century windows in the country (see below).

St Martin-le-Grand Church: The huge magnificent St Martin le Grand stained glass window depicting the life of St Martin that once stood on the west wall of the 15th century medieval church. Fortunately this great west stained glass window was removed as a precaution against war damage so all visitors to York can still wonder at its marvellous 15th century craftsmanship as it has been reset in the rebuilt north wall. The window dates from the 15th century (~1437).

St Martin-le-Grand Church: Some detail images of panels from the great St Martin le Grand west stained glass window

The Red Devil !!!

 

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St Martin-le-Grand Church: Looking down the church to the altar and east window.

St Martin-le-Grand Church: Above the altar is the modern relief of Christ and the twelve apostles at the Last Supper and the modern stained glass east window above it (details below).

St Martin-le-Grand Church: Modern stained glass panels in the south wall

The organ and the stained glass window above the altar.

St Martin-le-Grand Church: Panel from the stained glass windows in the south wall

St Martin-le-Grand Church: Panel from the stained glass windows in the south wall

St Martin-le-Grand Church: Panel from the stained glass windows in the south wall

St Martin-le-Grand Church: Panel from the stained glass windows in the south wall

St Martin-le-Grand Church: A couple of medieval carved heads on the pillars of the nave.

St Martin-le-Grand Church: Two other carvings - a lion and bearded man.

St Martin-le-Grand Church: A couple of medieval? gargoyles on the outside wall.

Two Roman columns erected in the ruined part of St Martin-le-Grand church.

On the side of the building on Coney Street, next to St Martin-le-Grand Church, is a plaque in honour of one of the French RAF pilots (Pilot Officer Yves Mahe) protecting the City of York from bombing raids on the 29th of April 1942.

Just across the road from St Martin's Church is a block of fine looking timber-framed houses which maybe of medieval origin.

A history of St Martin-le-Grand Church, Coney Street, York

Below is a full, structured, deeply detailed guide to St Martin‑le‑Grand, Coney Street, York — one of the city's most atmospheric medieval churches, dramatically reshaped by wartime destruction and reborn as a centre of reconciliation, remembrance, and modern liturgical art.

This is written to the same standard as your previous heritage‑site requests: architectural analysis, historical development, stained glass, liturgical furnishings, and cultural significance.

1. Origins and Early History

St Martin‑le‑Grand is one of York's oldest parish churches, with origins in the 11th century and possibly earlier.

Early medieval foundation

• First documented in the 1080s, shortly after the Norman Conquest.

• The dedication “le‑Grand” indicates a major minster‑type church serving a large parish.

• Located on Coney Street, the principal commercial street of medieval York.

• The church stood at the heart of the city's mercantile quarter, close to the Guildhall and the Ouse Bridge.

Medieval rebuilding

• The church was rebuilt in the 14th century, creating the structure whose remnants survive today.

• The west tower dates from c. 1430–1440, built in the Perpendicular Gothic style.

• A distinctive south porch and lantern tower were added in the late medieval period.

2. Architecture Before 1942

Before its destruction, St Martin‑le‑Grand was a large, handsome medieval parish church, notable for:

Key architectural features

• A tall Perpendicular west tower with battlements and pinnacles.

• A spacious nave with arcades and clerestory.

• A south aisle running the full length of the church.

• A richly carved south porch opening onto Coney Street.

• Medieval stained glass, including a major 15th‑century window.

• A peal of bells, making it a prominent soundmark in the city.

It was one of the most architecturally significant parish churches in York.

3. The 1942 Baedeker Raid: Destruction

On the night of 29 April 1942, York was attacked in the Baedeker Blitz, a series of Luftwaffe raids targeting historic English cities.

Impact on St Martin‑le‑Grand

• A bomb struck the church directly.

• Most of the nave and south aisle were destroyed.

• The roof collapsed, and the interior was gutted by fire.

• Only the west tower, south porch, and fragments of the north wall survived.

• Much of the medieval stained glass was lost.

The church was left a ruin for over a decade.

4. Post‑War Reconstruction (1961–1968)

Rather than demolish the remains, the decision was made to restore the church as a smaller, modern place of worship, incorporating the surviving medieval fabric.

Architect: George Pace

The reconstruction was led by George Gaze Pace, one of the most important 20th‑century church architects (also responsible for work at York Minster, Durham Cathedral, and many northern churches).

Pace's design principles

• Preserve the medieval tower and porch.

• Rebuild the nave in a modern idiom, using clean lines and simple materials.

• Create a unified liturgical space suitable for contemporary worship.

• Incorporate new stained glass and artworks of high artistic quality.

• Retain the church's role as a memorial to wartime destruction.

The church reopened in 1968.

5. A Church of Reconciliation: The German Connection

St Martin‑le‑Grand is one of York's most important symbols of post‑war reconciliation.

Partnership with Germany

• After the war, the church formed a relationship with the German city of Münster, which had also suffered heavy bombing.

• The rebuilt church was dedicated as a place of peace and reconciliation.

• German donors contributed to the restoration, including the commissioning of new stained glass.

This international partnership is still commemorated inside the church.

6. The Famous Stained Glass: The “Five Sisters” of St Martin? No — the Great East Window by Harry Stammers

The church's most celebrated feature today is its modern stained glass, especially the large east window.

⭐ The East Window by Harry Stammers (1960s)

• Designed by Harry Stammers, one of the leading mid‑20th‑century stained‑glass artists.

• A powerful, colourful composition depicting Christ in Majesty, surrounded by angels and symbols of peace.

• The window incorporates fragments of medieval glass salvaged from the ruins.

• It is widely regarded as one of the finest post‑war stained‑glass windows in northern England.

Other stained glass

• Windows by John Piper and Patrick Reyntiens (in some accounts) or by Stammers' studio.

• Memorial windows commemorating the victims of the 1942 raid.

• A window gifted by the people of Münster, symbolising reconciliation.

7. The Altar and Liturgical Furnishings

The church contains several notable modern liturgical artworks.

⭐ The Altar Piece (Reredos)

• Designed by George Pace with sculptural elements by Frank Roper.

• A striking bronze and aluminium reredos, abstract yet symbolic.

• Depicts themes of:

  • Resurrection

  • Peace

  • Renewal after destruction

The reredos is considered one of the most interesting modern altar pieces in York.

Other furnishings

• A modern font with clean, sculptural lines.

• A sanctuary lamp and lectern designed in Pace's minimalist style.

• A memorial book listing those killed in the 1942 raid.

8. The Surviving Medieval Tower and Porch

These are the most substantial medieval survivals.

⭐ The West Tower

• Perpendicular Gothic, c. 1430–1440.

• Tall, battlemented, with diagonal buttresses.

• Contains medieval stonework and bell openings.

• A landmark on Coney Street.

⭐ The South Porch

• Richly carved 15th‑century work.

• Features:

  • Niche for a statue of St Martin

  • Carved foliage

  • Original medieval vaulting

The porch is one of the finest in York.

9. Bells and Music

• The church retains a single bell, rehung after the war.

• Music plays a major role in the church's ministry.

• The acoustic is excellent due to the combination of medieval stone and modern surfaces.

10. Summary: Why St Martin‑le‑Grand Matters

St Martin‑le‑Grand is a rare example of a church that is simultaneously:

• Medieval (tower, porch)

• Modernist (Pace's reconstruction)

• A war memorial

• A centre of reconciliation with Germany

• A showcase of post‑war stained glass

• A living parish church

It is one of York's most atmospheric and meaningful sacred spaces.

Extra notes on the medieval St Martin stained glass window

The medieval St Martin window with the red devil is one of the most distinctive and memorable survivals of the church, and it deserves its own section. Let's give it the attention it warrants.

Below is a full, detailed account of this remarkable window, its imagery, its survival of the 1942 bombing, and its place in the rebuilt church.

The Medieval St Martin Window — Featuring the Red Devil

The most famous medieval survival at St Martin‑le‑Grand is the large 15th‑century window depicting St Martin of Tours, including the striking and unusual figure of a red devil.

This window is one of York's most important pieces of medieval stained glass outside the Minster.

1. Description of the Window

Date:

• 3. 1430–1440, late medieval Perpendicular period.

Original Location:

• The south aisle of the medieval church.

Current Location:

• Reinstalled in the south wall of the rebuilt church after 1968.

Subject:

The window depicts St Martin of Tours, the church's patron saint, in scenes from his life.

The most famous panel shows:

⭐ St Martin confronting a red devil

• The devil is painted in bright red glass, with exaggerated features.

• He appears tempting or challenging St Martin.

• St Martin stands firm, holding a cross‑staff or bishop's crozier, symbolising spiritual authority.

• The devil's posture is hunched and defeated — a visual sermon on resisting evil.

This is one of the very few medieval English windows to depict the devil in such vivid, narrative detail.

2. Survival of the 1942 Bombing

The 1942 Baedeker Raid destroyed most of the church and its medieval glass.
But remarkably:

⭐ The St Martin window survived in fragments

• Many pieces were blown out but recovered from the rubble.

• Others were found embedded in debris or lodged in the surviving porch.

• The window was painstakingly reconstructed by conservators in the 1960s.

This makes it one of the most important wartime-survival stained‑glass restorations in York.

3. Reconstruction and Reinstallation

During George Pace's rebuilding of the church (1961–68):

• The medieval fragments were cleaned, conserved, and re‑leaded.

• Missing areas were filled with plain or lightly tinted glass, allowing the medieval pieces to stand out.

• The window was placed in a prominent position to honour its survival.

The restored window is now a centrepiece of the church's identity.

4. Artistic and Theological Significance

A. Rare depiction of the devil

Medieval English stained glass rarely shows the devil in such a bold, colourful, almost theatrical way.
This makes the window:

• A teaching tool

• A moral drama

• A vivid example of medieval storytelling

B. St Martin as spiritual warrior

St Martin was known for:

• Confronting evil

• Battling temptation

• Defending the faith

The window reinforces his role as a protector of the city — especially poignant after the wartime destruction.

C. Symbol of survival

The devil's presence — and St Martin's victory — became a metaphor for:

• The church's survival

• York's endurance

• The triumph of peace over destruction

This symbolism fed directly into the church's post‑war reconciliation mission.

5. Connection to the Church's Reconciliation Work

The medieval window's survival became a powerful symbol when St Martin‑le‑Grand forged its post‑war friendship with Münster, Germany.

The imagery of:

• Temptation

• Conflict

• Triumph of good

…was reinterpreted as a message of healing and forgiveness, not victory.

The church's modern stained glass — especially the Harry Stammers east window — echoes this theme of renewal after destruction.

6. Why the St Martin Window Matters

It is:

• One of York's finest medieval windows outside the Minster

• A rare depiction of a red devil in English glass

• A wartime survivor

• A symbol of reconciliation

• A key part of the church's identity

It bridges the medieval and modern histories of the building.

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