St Clement's Church in York: events to celebrate 150 years

It will be 150 years since the official consecration and opening of the church on the August 28, 1874. Two years earlier, a hermetically-sealed bottle had been placed in a cavity of the foundation stone containing a number of coins, copies the York Herald and York Gazette and details about the erection of the church.

Throughout the 19th century, a large number of houses were built to accommodate people following the introduction and development of the railways, the opening of Terry’s chocolate factory and the carriage and wagon works which opened in 1867.

In his History of St Clement’s, Norman Clay writes that the demand for housing in the area increased with the establishment of the York Confectionary Company in Fenwick Street. This company specialised in candied peel and the mint rock supplied to many seaside resorts.

The church of St Clement’s was founded by prominent late Victorian clergyman Canon George Marsham Argles, Rector of St Mary Bishophill Senior, to cater for this hugely increased resident population in Clementhorpe and the area bounded by Nunnery Lane, the lower end of Bishopthorpe Road and Nunthorpe Road. The architects were Messrs J.W. Atkinson of York and the church cost £4,000 to build.

Stained-glass window dedicated to St Clement and St Margaret

Special features of the church include several mouse carvings on the choir stalls and communion rail. These are the work of furniture maker Robert ‘Mousey’ Thompson from Kilburn who was active as a craftsman in the late 19th century and first half of the 20th century. Another feature of note at St Clement’s is the stained-glass window dedicated to St Clement and St Margaret. From the photographs contained in the 1924 album celebrating the jubilee of the church, it was evident that the faces of the saints have more than a passing resemblance to Canon Argles and his wife.

This brick-built building has come a long way since then. Nowadays, St Clement’s is part of a multi-church benefice taking in St Chad’s in Campleshon Road and St Andrew’s Bishopthorpe. St Clement’s styles itself as a Community Church and is the venue for a food bank, regular coffee mornings on the first Saturday of each month (from 10am to 11am), a craft group that meets on Wednesdays from 2pm-4pm, and the rehearsal space for the South Bank singers. Isabel Bamford, a long-standing member of the St Clement’s family, told me that the craft group had made a banner in honour of St Clement as well as bunting for the church’s anniversary, and were planning to decorate the building with orange and yellow pompoms.

At the east end, outside the church, there is a community garden. Churchwarden Martin Slater commented: “It’s a local facility for people, not just members of the congregation, who want a green space to cultivate vegetables.”

Twice a week, the church hosts its Community Connect, an outreach venture for anyone who is socially isolated and wants to drop in and have coffee and cake over a chat with volunteers. Martin Slater set up Community Connect just over a year ago. Sarah Furness is a York city council social worker who is on hand with her colleague Michal Czekajlo each Wednesday and Friday morning along with other volunteers such as Romy Dunn from Bishopthorpe and Peter Phillips from St Chad’s.

“Sarah provides our clientele,” says Martin. “She seeks out people who need help and directs them to St Clement’s.” There are several laptop computers which the church has bought or which have been donated, and these are also available on Wednesday and Friday mornings in the church for anyone who doesn’t have a computer at home and needs access to one. Romy has expertise and can help anybody who is struggling with computing, mobile phones or iPads.

Rocky, one of the regulars at the drop-in, who comes across the city from Tang Hall, told me: “I come here to meet people. They’re really friendly and it’s nice to talk.” Sue Franks and her son Michael value the opportunity to use the laptops. “We don’t have one at home so they’re really helpful.” Chris Rothwell is another regular who values the opportunity to use the laptops. Chris said that he uses them mostly to explore the local geography and weather patterns.

St Clement's Community Garden. Photo by David Wilson

St Clement’s will be celebrating its 150-year anniversary at the end of June with an exhibition about the history of the church and its present day activities, spearheaded by Hazel Williams who will be assisted by a party of volunteers. There will be an opening concert at 3pm on the afternoon of Saturday, June 29 when Chilean-born Carlos Zamora will conduct the South Bank singers in a varied programme of international music, including a special Mass-setting - the Misa St Clement’s - which has been specially written by Carlos for the church.

The exhibition will conclude on Saturday, July 6when the church will host its annual St Clement’s Summer Fair with its customary bric-à-brac, cake and plant stalls and games for the children.

On Sunday, June 30 there will be a service of Eucharist at 10:30am where members of the congregation at St Clement’s will be joined by the congregations of St Chad’s and St Andrew Bishopthorpe.

For those attending any of these anniversary celebrations limited parking facilities are available on the newly-surfaced car park next to the church.

David Wilson is a Community Writer with The Press