A remarkable window into the past
Here’s one of those odd curiosities that you never tire of discovering in York. Head to All Saints Church – not on Pavement, but the one on North Street. Seek out the Orders Of Angels window and study it carefully. Can you spot him? One of the figures depicted in 14th-century stained glass is a chap sporting a fine pair of spectacles.
True, they’re quite clunky and made of metal, and are clearly not designer frames. But come on – how many medieval fellows sporting specs do you see? The answer is very few: this myopic Middle Ager is one of the earliest depictions of eyewear.
Info
Address All Saints Church, North Street, York, YO1 6JD, +44 (0)1904 706047, www.allsaints-northstreet.org.uk | Public Transport 2-minute walk from Tanner Row car park. Closest bus stop: Micklegate | Hours Winter, Mon–Sat 10am–3pm; Summer, 10am–6pm| Tip Almost next door to All Saints is the Whippet Inn, a contemporary steakhouse and bar which has earned many rave reviews.
Now that you’ve found him, enjoy exploring the rest of the church, beginning with the other windows. All Saints’ medieval stained-glass collection is among the most important in Britain. The most remarkable is the Pricke Of Conscience window. This is the end of the world, depicted in glass. It is based on a medieval poem about the final 15 days of the Earth, with each day given its own panel. Tsunamis, earthquakes, and infernos rage, stars fall from the sky, men cower, and the dead rise from the grave. If you’re having a bad day, a visit to this window puts your woes in perspective.
Originally dating from the 11th century, the church in its present form – with tower, octagon, and 120-foot spire – took shape at the end of the 1300s. In the 1420s Dame Emma Raughton, an anchorite or hermit, lived in a two-storey dwelling attached to the aisle. She received visions of the Virgin Mary. Brother Walter came to live in a room on precisely that spot after the First World War; he was even interviewed for one of Alan Whicker’s BBC documentaries.
From the hexagonal wooden pulpit to the angels holding musical instruments that adorn the chancel ceiling, All Saints contains stories wherever you look. Just remember to bring your spectacles.
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