Holy Trinity Church: Accessibility Review.

Tucked away between the Travelling Man game shop and the Old York Tea Room on Goodramgate is a bricked archway leading to one of the most lovely churches in York. The oldest parts of Holy Trinity Church date back to the 12th century and inside, there is a 15th century font as well as a 15th century stained glass East window. Another feature

of the church is that it still has it's original 17th century box pews, not uncommon at the time, but most were removed in the 19th century making this the only church in York to still have them. The box pews allowed worshipers to separate themselves from others and also served to block draughts. But, perhaps the most interesting thing about the church is that is has no electricity, instead, during services and events the church is lit by 150 candles.

In more modern history it holds space as a place of significance in LGBTQ+ history as it

Anne Listers Rainbow plaque.

is here that Anne Lister (or Gentleman Jack) and Ann Walker considered themselves to be married after they took sacrament to seal their union in 1834. There is a rainbow plaque here to commemorate the event. The gardens of the church are worth noting as a peaceful place of respite from the hustle and bustle of York city centre.

Holy Trinity church feels like it has surprises around every corner and is worth making a stop to visit the next time your passing.

🎟️ Booking.

There is no booking required and there are no costs to visit the church, however, donations are welcomed. You can pay a small price to ring the peace bell by the main entrance.

ℹ️ Accessibility Information Availability.

The only access information on the website states that the church is wheelchair accessible apart from the Sunken Chapel, the floors are uneven and that the light levels are low.

🚗 Parking.

The nearest car parks to the church are the Monk Bar car park (19 blue badge spaces) and the Coppergate car park (18 blue badge spaces) both of which are approximately 0.3 miles away. Parking is at a premium in York and can be quite expensive with 4 hours parking in both of these costing between £15.30 and £18, however blue badge holders can park for as long as they like free of charge. Alternatively, there are two dedicated blue badge spaces on St Saviourgate which is approximately 0.2 miles away.

🩼 Mobility.

There are two entrances into the churchyard, one is down Hornpot Lane (found as a step-free ginnel off Lower Petergate), the other through a bricked archway on Goodramgate. The entrance from Goodramgate is considerably shorter but does have a single uneven step to go through (see picture below). This is likely not a problem for motorised wheelchair users but may be difficult for manual wheelchair users to navigate.

The entrance via Hornpot Lane.

The entrance to the church on Goodramgate.

The path through the garden was uneven but paved and clear of obstacles when we visited. There is ramped access into the church. Once inside the church there is space to manoeuvre a wheelchair and level access to most of the church aside from the Sunken Chapel, altar and pulpit. There is also a step to enter the box pews. The ground inside the church is made of worn, smooth, stone slabs (some of which are grave slabs).

Sensory.

There are no sensory packs available to borrow. The lighting in the church is low and by candlelight and the temperature is cool. The church and gardens are very peaceful and ideal for a break from the crowds. Be aware that guests can pay to ring a peace bell which may alarm some visitors if unaware.

🚽 Toilets.

The facilities available at the nearest Changing Places toilet.

According to AccessAble there is an adapted toilet at the back of the church along an uneven and overgrown path, but the toilet is more like a storage room and not accessible so we have chosen not to include it as an accessible toilet in this review (this is based off their own photographs). Therefore, the nearest accessible and Changing Places toilets can be found on Silver Street near the Shambles (0.1 miles away). A RADAR key is required to access them.

☕️ Food and Drink.

Rocky Road available from the Old York Tea Room.

There is no food or drink available at the church however York is full of wonderful cafes

and eateries. Right outside the gate for Holy Trinity is The Old York Tea Room which serves, amongst other things, incredible cakes and desserts.

🪑 Rest Opportunities.

There are benches inside the church and also in the church yard to rest on but around York there aren't as many benches as you would think for a city centre location (possibly due to the age of the city).

🦻 Hearing.

No loops available in the church.

📖 Visual Guides.

There were plenty of leaflets and information around the church, but we didn't see any large print or Braille guides available.

There are volunteers inside the church who are very knowledgeable and would gladly give a guided tour of the church if asked.

🐕‍🦺 Assistance Dogs.

Assistance dogs are welcome inside the church.

Our verdict.

We wanted to visit this church simply because of the age of it and the box pews. We didn't expect to find such a peaceful and charming place full of history and interest. The volunteers were wonderful and the fact the church is right in the centre of York means there is access to all the facilities we needed nearby (aside from parking). The graveyard and garden was probably the biggest surprise, such a lovely place to rest in such a busy city.

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