York poplars unfelled

Another autumnal shot from Walmgate, York, this time of St Denys' church which we visited in more wintry conditon here.  There was a Saxon church on this site, and possibly an even earlier Roman temple. It might not look much from the outside, but inside St Denys' is illuminated by York's earliest medieval stained glass. A view of the interior can be found on this page. 

The title refers to two poems, The Poplar Field and Binsey Poplars by William Cowper and Gerard Manley Hopkins respectively. As poplars only have a life of about 150 years and often have to be cut down anyway, Hopkins' verse is rather misleading; its environmental concern, however, is surprisingly modern.

While Shepherds Watched - Christmas Music from English Parish Churches 1740-1830 /Psalmody * Parley of Instruments * Holman

Three periods

This is St Denys' church on Walmgate, confusingly situated between Dennis Street and St Denys' Road. I wanted the picture for the three periods of architecture: medieval, 19th century and mid to late 20th century. 

There were six medieval churches on Walmgate, but only this one and St Margaret's remains. The latter is the home of the National Centre for Early Music on which there is an earlier post.