Accessibility at St Paul’s

How to Find Us 

St Paul’s Church, Holgate, is located on Holgate Road (A59) next to the large iron bridge. The postcode is YO24 4BF and our ‘what 3 words’ are ///farm.stamp.with

Public Transport

York is well served by a large railway station, which is about a 20 minute walk away from St Paul’s. There is a pedestrian route to the church from the station, or you can take a taxi from the rank by the entrance, or take a bus (heading west). The stops can be found across the road outside the station.

For pedestrian access, turn right out of the station’s main entrance. Turn right onto Blossom Street past the Windmill Inn. Continue along Blossom Street until you reach the turning for Holgate Road (the A59), and turn right. Follow the road up the hill and over the iron bridge. St Paul’s Church will be directly on your right. This route is fairly accessible for wheelchair users/mobility scooters but be aware of the altered pedestrian route just outside the station for the works currently taking place along the city walls (October 2025). 

If you are travelling by bus, there are several services which go past the church: the 1, the 5A, and the 10. The closest bus stop is Holgate Hill, which you can find on the First Bus App. If you are travelling from the west towards the city centre, the bus stop is located outside the Astor Hotel. Alight here and walk down Holgate Road for about a minute - the church will be directly on your left. If you are coming from the east, away from the city centre, the stop is directly opposite the church and there is a pelican crossing. 

Car Parking

There is very limited car parking for the church. There is a car park off Watson Street, located just behind the church. Regrettably there are no designated disabled spaces as the land does not belong to the church and is locked once any service or event is finished. However, blue badge holders can park directly opposite the church in designated resident only bays.

Bicycle Parking

St Paul’s Church has six bicycle parking bays which are located adjacent to the church wall in the car-parking area. 

Wheelchair Accessibility

The pavements along Holgate Road to the church are relatively wide, level, and can be navigated by wheelchair users and guide dog owners. There is a pelican crossing outside the church.

There is a ramp up to the entrance of the church, where you will be greeted by a member of our volunteer team. As you come into the foyer, there is an accessible toilet immediately to your left. There are other toilets downstairs in the crypt, although these are only accessible via stairs or by the external door to the crypt.

All of our seating inside the main church can be moved around easily, and there is ample room for wheelchairs and space for guide dogs, so you are able to sit with family and friends among the congregation. 

Arriving at Church 

Once you arrive at church, you will be greeted by one or two welcomers outside the front door. In the lobby, one of our Church Wardens is usually there to greet people as well, and our Sides people tend to be either side of the folding doors and will say hello. Sometimes the lobby gets very busy directly before the service begins, so some might find it more comfortable getting to the church earlier when it is quieter. 

Once you are seated in the main church, members of the congregation may go over to chat to you in your seat if they think you are new, to try and make you feel welcome.

Accessibility Resources

St Paul’s Church is largely paper-free for our services. All the songs, Bible passages, and liturgy are displayed on large screens. However, if you would like a Bible (large print Bibles are available) for the service then you can speak to one of our Sides people, who will be pleased to accommodate you.

Songs and liturgy are available in paper form in standard and large print from Sides on request. We also upload the liturgy and song words on our website a few days before the service, here:

https://www.stpaulsyork.org.uk/news. 

We have a hearing loop; however, due to the metal pillars in church it is not effective in certain areas. Please ask our Sides people where to sit for access to the hearing loop when you enter the church. The lighting is good and enables the faces of the speakers to be seen by lipreaders. 

Usual pattern and order of the service

  1. The band tends to play before the service starts.

  2. An introduction by the leader of the service, along with the Notices.

  3. Introductory words and prayer, usually with a response from the congregation.

  4. An introductory song will be sung. Please feel free to stand or sit as you feel comfortable.

  5. The children’s slot/an outside speaker/testimony/interview, followed by a song, during which the children tend to leave for their groups.

  6. The Confession, Absolution, and Creed, followed by a song.

  7. The reading, the talk, and prayers, along with a closing song.

  8. The Blessing is given. 

Please note that this is the usual service format but it can vary depending on the service leader or the worship leader. Certain times of year, particularly the summer, can also cause the format of services to change.

After the service, hot drinks and biscuits are served from the hatch behind the congregation on the right hand side. This is a time of informal chat. You are very welcome to join in but equally there is no pressure to stay.

The Collection 

The collection is generally taken during the last song. A bag with a wooden handle on either side is passed from person to person along each row and then handed to a Sides person who takes it up to the front for it to be prayed over. If you do not want to give, or do not have cash, this is not a problem - just pass the bag along to the next person, or back to the Sides person. There are electronic ways available to donate money to St Paul’s via card reader in the foyer or the website.

Receiving Holy Communion

During Holy Communion, the Communion Assistants go up to the front first, then the musicians and others helping during the service go up for Communion. Then the Sides people direct people up to the front, starting from the back row and the approach is down the centre aisle. A queue is formed and people are guided to where to stand for Communion by someone standing near the front. If non alcoholic wine is preferred, a card is available to be picked up. The person at the front can help with this. We offer a choice of wheat bread or gluten-free wafers. Communion is received while standing, and afterwards it is customary to return to your seat via the side aisle nearest to where you have received communion. Gentle songs are sung during communion to keep people engaged and to encourage silent reflection.

Holy Communion can be taken to someone in their seat. Please communicate this to a Sides person on arrival, and they will pass on that need to whoever is in charge of the communion service (presiding). 

General points for neurodiverse access

We are working hard to ensure St Paul’s is a comfortable, welcoming, and safe space for neurodivergent people (those with Autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, and Tourette’s, among others). This information has been written by an Autistic member of our congregation who has assessed the church for general neurodiverse accessibility. 

Sensory Aspects

  • Lighting: there are no harsh bright lights at St Paul’s in the main church. The lighting downstairs in the Crypt, however, is fluorescent and very bright, particularly in the women’s toilets. We are planning to rectify this as part of our reordering project.

  • Noise: although sound levels are checked before our services, the band can get loud at times. The beginning of the service can also be disruptive with the noise of the children. The service generally gets quieter after the children go downstairs to their groups. If you prefer a more gentle service, we have a Holy Communion service on Thursday lunchtimes from 12:15pm - 1:00pm. Also, our Encounter service on every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month at 7pm (held on the first Sunday at St Barnabas  and the third Sunday at St Paul’s) offers a reflective and quiet time with God. Be aware that louder worship songs can sometimes feature too.

  • Sensory activities/services: we are currently considering how to engage people who respond to church in different ways, and are hoping to offer more sensory services at St Paul’s. 

  • Quiet spaces: at St Paul’s, we recognise that church can sometimes be an overwhelming and challenging place. If you need some time to breathe and regroup, there is a quiet space. This is found towards the front of the church (the vestry) on the right hand side. It is enclosed and not brightly lit. We regret that the vestry is used for prayers during our Communion Sundays, however, and not available as a Quiet Space. We are working hard to make other arrangements during this time.

At St Paul’s, we recognise that accessibility and disability inclusion is a work in progress, and we are continually looking for ways to improve and learn. If you have any feedback on the information on this webpage, please do contact the Office so that they can pass it onto our Neurodiversity and Inclusion Officer.  Email: admin@stpaulsyork.org.uk