Holy Trinity Goodramgate, York: Keep the Gate Open

Holy Trinity Goodramgate is a hidden treasure. It stands in a small, secluded, leafy churchyard, with the Minster towering behind, tucked away behind Goodramgate - one of York's busiest shopping streets. Visitors to the church enter through an iconic 18th C gateway, with iron gates added in the early 19th C, and it is this historic entrance which is currently in need of urgent repair and conservation.

Following the report of loose and falling masonry at the end of 2025, the grade II* listed gateway arch at Holy Trinity Goodramgate requires urgent repair and conservation. The decision was taken in early 2026 to place a wooden frame around the upper section of the arch to secure the brickwork in place. The immediate concern was that there may be further masonry falls which, if allowed to continue, could eventually lead to the loosening of the central key stone and threaten the integrity of the whole structure. 

The archway and gate are together an iconic part of the historic fabric of Holy Trinity church and its wonderful 900-year history. It is a well-loved monument in the city of York, and would almost certainly have been the entrance used by Anne Lister and Ann Walker when they made their visit to Goodramgate to exchange rings and take communion. The couple are celebrated as famously sealing their lesbian union at Holy Trinty on 30th March 1834 and are often cited as one of the first same-sex marriages in Britain.  In 2018, this visit was commemorated by the installation of a blue plaque with a rainbow border, and the gateway and arch are a famous feature in the BBC TV series, Gentleman Jack.