Central Methodist Church, York, aka Central Methodist Chapel
This imposing building was designed by James Simpson of Leeds to
be a cathedral of Methodism.
For many years it was known as the Centenary Chapel because it
was built in 1840 to mark a hundred years of Methodism.
The church was built on a grand scale, with a stone front and
giant pillars at the entrance. Unfortunately it is impossible to get
a view of the building as it was intended to be seen, as it is
currently hidden by Stonebow House.
The main hall is large enough to seat 1,500 people. It has an
elegant ceiling decorated with leaf designs and the original coloured
glass still survives in the windows.
Even the pulpit was originally extravagant for a Methodist
church, it was a two-decker made from Spanish mahogany. It was
reduced to a single pulpit in 1907 for the benefit of the Annual
Wesleyan Conference which met that year in York.
Photo 827, May 2011