York Guildhall

York Guildhall
The Guildhall facing the River Ouse
LocationYork, North Yorkshire
Coordinates53°57′35″N 1°05′08″W / 53.95963°N 1.08563°W / 53.95963; -1.08563
Built1459
Listed Building – Grade I
Designated14 June 1954
Reference no.1257929
York Guildhall is located in North Yorkshire
York Guildhall
Location of York Guildhall in North Yorkshire

The Guildhall York is a municipal building located in St Martins Courtyard, Coney Street, in York. Located behind the Mansion House, it is a Grade I listed building.[1]

History

York Guildhall as seen from the rear of the Mansion House
Council chamber in the Guildhall

The building was constructed as a meeting place for the City's guilds between 1449 and 1459.[1]

King Richard III was entertained in the building in 1483,[2] and the Guildhall was the venue for the trial of St Margaret Clitherow, a Catholic martyr, in 1586.[3] It was also the place where a ransom of £200,000 was counted before being given to the Scots in payment for the release of Charles I in 1647 during the English Civil War,[3] and where Prince Albert, the Prince Consort to Queen Victoria was a guest of honour at a royal banquet in the building in October 1850.[4] At the north end of the Guildhall was a stained glass window painted by Henry Gyles in about 1682.[5]

In 1811 a building, designed by Peter Atkinson the younger as a council chamber, was erected to the south of the original hall (this is now known as "the Atkinson Room").[6] Then in 1891, another building, designed by Enoch Mawbey, the city surveyor, accommodating a larger council chamber, was built to the north of the original hall (this building is now known as "the Municipal Offices").[6][7] The new council chamber was decorated by Kendal, Milne and Co in the 1890s.[8]

The interior of the original building, including the stained glass window, was destroyed during a Baedeker raid in 1942.[3] After the war the Guildhall was rebuilt and a new stained glass window, depicting five aspects of the city's history (architecture, war, civic affairs, commercial trade and religious education), was designed and installed by Harry Harvey of York.[9] The complex was re-opened by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother in 1960.[10]

Throughout the 20th century meetings of the City of York Council were held in the Guildhall;[11] however, in Autumn 2017, when a programme of restoration work began at the Guildhall, temporary arrangements were put in place for the council to meet in the former Salvation Army Citadel on Gillygate.[12] The renovation, which cost £21 million and was carried out to remedy serious structural issues, was completed in 2022 and the building was subsequently leased to the University of York, as a centre for start up businesses.[13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Historic England. "Guildhall and Chamber Range, Atkinson block, Common Hall Lane and boundary wall containing entrance to lane (1257929)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  2. ^ "Walking with King Richard III". York Press. 9 October 2013. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  3. ^ a b c "York Guildhall". History of York. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
  4. ^ McWilliams, Mark (2012). Celebration: Proceedings of the Oxford Symposium on Food and Cookery 2011. Prospect Books. ISBN 978-1903018897.
  5. ^ "York Guildhall Painted Glass Window". History of York. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  6. ^ a b Tillott, P M (1961). "'The Guildhall, Council Chamber and Mansion House', in A History of the County of York: the City of York". London: British History Online. pp. 542–544. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  7. ^ "York Guildhall Options Appraisal" (PDF). York Council. p. 6. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  8. ^ "Municipal Offices". Heritage Gateway. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  9. ^ "Meet the man who designed the Guildhall's post-blitz stained glass window". York Press. 1 July 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  10. ^ "The Guildhall". York Press. Archived from the original on 21 August 2006. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  11. ^ "The Guildhall". York Council. Archived from the original on 11 March 2015. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  12. ^ "Date set for £9m plan to transform York Guildhall into 'world-class business venue'". York Mix. 30 August 2017. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  13. ^ "York council hands over keys after £21m Guildhall renovation". York Press. 17 May 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
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