All Saints North Street’s famous Pricke of Conscience window includes an unusual detail: two people lying in bed, while the apocalypse rages around them and Death stands ready. A similar bed can be seen in the Corporal Acts of Mercy window, this time occupied by a sick inhabitant attended by his worried wife.

In this interdisciplinary romp around the beds and bed chambers of late-medieval England, historian Hollie Morgan will be looking at real people’s domestic space alongside the stories which inspired, and were inspired by, the way people used and thought about their beds.

Come and hear stories of what happened in bed in the Middle Ages, why these beds are in the church window and the curious things people did with their beds in public.

This event is presented as part of the York Festival of Ideas. We strongly recommend booking for this event. Attendance is free, though we suggest a donation of £5 to help us cover costs. Donations can be made by cash and card within the church.

Please note: Most of the church is wheelchair accessible except for the chancel, high altar, and anchorhold (open for special events only), though some floors are uneven due to the historic nature of the building.

Join us for a short walking tour outlining the history of the area around All Saints North Street in the 19th and 20th centuries and how the neighbourhood has changed over time.

This volunteer-led tour introduces the importance of the area to York’s chocolate history, the changing economic character of the neighbourhood and the everyday considerations of its residents and workers.

Meeting at All Saints North Street, the walk will take around an hour on mostly flat urban terrain. There will be the opportunity for refreshments at All Saints North Street afterwards, where seating and a toilet are available. You are very welcome to explore the church.

This event is free but please do book in advance as numbers are limited. Donations are welcome to support the ongoing work of maintaining our beautiful medieval church.

Tucked between two characters in the Nine Orders of Angels window at All Saints North Street is a man wearing a pair of folding spectacles. This bespectacled man however is not where he should be since a 1670 sketch of the window does not feature him there. Where could he come from then? Come and explore the possible origins of this beloved fragment of medieval glass, but also the special place of eyeglasses in late medieval York.

Our speaker, Naoki Matsumoto graduated with an MA in Medieval Studies at the university of York and is now pursuing a PhD at the university of Poitiers in France, on the topic of the representation of people with disabilities in medieval stained glass.

Please note: Most of the church is wheelchair accessible except for the chancel, high altar, and anchorhold (open for special events only), though some floors are uneven due to the historic nature of the building.

Booking is recommended for this event. Attendance is free, though we suggest a donation of £5 to help us cover costs. Donations can be made by cash and card within the church.

Free entry, retiring collection. Refreshments available.