Church of St Stephen

About

St Stephen's Church is the parish church of Acomb, a suburb of York in England. A church has lain on the site since the Saxon period, and some remains of the Saxon church were uncovered in 1830. By the time of the Norman Conquest, it was a possession of York Minster. In 1228, it was transferred to the Treasurer of the Minster, and a vicarage was built in 1313. It was transferred to the Crown in 1547.

By 1830, the church was ruinous, so from 1831 to 1832 it was rebuilt, to a design by George Townsend Andrews. It seated 338 worshippers, partly in two galleries. Cruciform in plan, it was constructed in Tadcaster limestone with a slate roof. The original chancel was retained, but it was rebuilt in 1851. A vestry was added in 1889, and the following year, an east window was added. In the 20th-century, a porch was added, as was a lean-to on the north wall.

In 1848, it was described as "an elegant structure with a graceful spire, and, standing on the highest ground in the vicinity of York, [it] has a very picturesque appearance". The Royal Commission on Historic Monuments was more critical, describing it as "ostensibly in the Early English style, [but it] shows no real appreciation...