The present church building was built between 1525 and 1537 and replaced a church that dated back to at least 1294. The church is famous for being the place where
Guy Fawkes was baptised on 16 April 1570. Fawkes later became a
Roman Catholic, which led to his involvement in the failed 1605
Gunpowder Plot. The church was also the scene of the wedding of
Christopher Levett of York, the English explorer, to Mercy More, daughter of the Revd Robert More of Guiseley, Yorkshire, in 1608. It is sited near to the place where the
Emperor Constantine was proclaimed
Roman Emperor in 306 AD. Some 14th-century stained glass was retained from the former church, which is now in the east window. The west front and bellcote date from 1867 and were supervised by the architect
George Fowler Jones. The stained glass panels on the front of the building were restored by John Knowles in the early 19th century. The interior contains an elegant
reredos in the
Baroque style by John Etty of 1702, with contemporary altar rails. This sits alongside other 18th-century memorials. It also contains some fine 17th-century carved benches, and a fine suite of Victorian bench seating by architect
George Fowler Jones, with impressive poppy heads, and doors to the aisle seats, which are a rare survival. Also of note are two staircases at the west end that lead to the gallery with raised and fielded panelling, with Gothick balustrades, plain serpentine handrails, wreathed at foot around column newels on shaped curtail steps. These are a remarkable survival, and there are no other known surviving examples, making them of exceptional significance. The galleries themselves were designed by William Belwood , and survive very much as designed. The seating was probably made for children of Blue Coat and Grey Coat Charity Schools in 1785, and appear to survive in their original form. The first record of any organ in the church dates from 1687, cobbled together with the remains of an organ built by George Dallam for
Durham Cathedral in 1662. This was replaced in 1885 by a brand-new 34-stop, three-manual organ by William Denman & Son of York. The organ is notable, being one of their largest instruments constructed. It is housed in the north aisle in a beautifully carved oak case designed by
James Demaine, then Principal of noted York architectural practice Brierley Groom. This was spearheaded by the Rev. Edmund Carter, who had become Vicar in 1882.
Recent history In the early 1970s the parish of St Michael le Belfrey was joined with the nearby
St Cuthbert's Church, which had experienced
revival in the late 1960s under the leadership of
David Watson and could no longer be accommodated in the building. Growth continued in the 1970s and the church became known as a centre for
charismatic renewal. It was also at this time the choir stalls and fine pulpit were removed in 1973, replaced with a George Pace designed modern pulpit and a stage for musicians and service leaders. The Church's historic pipe organ, built in 1885 by York organ builder William Denman, and is one of the largest instruments of his career. Under the evangelical leadership, the instrument was allowed to deteriorate, and the organ's condition declined to the point that the organ fell unplayable in the mid-1990s. The organ underwent tonal changes and improvements in 1925 and 1975. During this work, the casework was badly damaged by an attempt to strip the original dark stain of the wood, followed by an amateurish attempt to lime the casework, which damaged many of the facade pipes in the process. The organ was used extensively, alongside a range of other musical instruments, during an exciting period of renewal under the Rev. David Watson. However, later changes in the liturgical style of worship of the congregation's services led to the organ falling out of use. It was last used in 2000 before being allowed to fall completely silent. In agreement with St Lawrence Church, York and the Diocese of York the organ was dismantled in 2019, restored and relocated to St Lawrence in 2020. ==The Impact Project==