Georgian York
8th century York was a vibrant society centre frequented by the Gentry and aristocracy who came here to socialize, flirt, clinch a marriage and partake of entertainments – the Races, Theatre, dancing, tea drinking and watching public hangings!
* This fact sheet has been provided by YorkWalk. Established in 1990, YorkWalk offers a programme of themed walking tours of York throughout the year. This information is intended to assist journalists with information on different York themes and has been written to give a flavour of York’s themed walking tours.
* Other tours include the Historic Toilet Tour, the Graveyard, Coffin and Plague tour, the Guy Fawkes Trail and the Bloody Execution Tour…to name just a few. Tel: 01904 622303, www.yorkwalk.co.uk
Many fine Georgian buildings still remain in York, reminders of an elegant era when York was seen by the wealthier classes as an alternative to London – somewhere to build fine town houses and enjoy themselves. Fairfax House But perhaps nowhere sums up Georgian York as well as Fairfax House, one of the most distinguished 18th century town houses in Britain and now the ideal backdrop to the Noel Terry Collection of Furniture, also one of the finest of its type. Built in 1762 a stone’s throw from Clifford’s Tower, the house, charming and perfectly proportioned, is a perennially popular visitor attraction. It is easy to imagine the wealthy neighbourhoods of York in the reign of King George III: coffee houses, beautiful gardens, fine public spaces such as St Helen’s Square (created in 1745 out of the graveyard of St Helen's Church) – even the Knavesmire Racecourse, which staged its first races during George’s reign. The railway age swept away much of Georgian England, but what remains in York is a precious reminder of the city's most elegant manifestation.OLD THEATRE ROYAL
The Old Theatre Royal was built on the vaults of St Leonard’s Hospital (12th century). The first theatre on site was opened by Mrs Keegan in 1744, although the very first purpose-built theatre opened in 1734 on site of Purey Cust. The Theatre was illegal in York until 1769, when it obtained a Royal Licence. It was the first provincial theatre outside London (Covent Garden and Drury Lane) except for Norwich and Bristol.
The ‘Golden Age’ of Theatre in York was during the late 18th century, under management of Tate Wilkinson (1770-1803). Great actors who visited include John Kemble, Edmund Kean, and Mrs Sarah Siddons (who began her stage career in York at Theatre Royal) and later Sarah Bernhardt. A popular actress was Mrs Jordan, who played male parts, so she could show off her legs. She was mistress to Duke of Clarence (later William IV)!! She appeared in York when she arrived from Dublin in 1782 and stayed at Theatre Royal for three years. She appeared regularly to raise money for Duke of Clarence and his illegitimate children over next 30 years.
ASSEMBLY ROOMS
The Assembly Rooms, now an imposing restaurant, were designed by Richard, Earl of Burlington, in 1731, and were some of the earliest neo-classical buildings in Europe. Their present facade was designed by Pritchett in 1828, as well as the old portico blocked street. The Assembly Rooms were Inspired by 16th century Italian architect Palladio and based on Roman Architect Vitruvius’ ‘Egyptian Hall’. The interior is the first archeologically inspired Neo-Classical interior in Europe. Designed for card-playing, tea drinking and dancing, by Aristocracy while coachmen and sedan-chair men drank and gambled in the basement!
Mansion House
The Mansion House, today the official residence of the Lord Mayor, was built between 1725 and 1730, although no one is sure who the architect was. The house now holds one of the finest collections of civic silver in the country, including a solid silver chamber pot with matching whistle!ST HELEN’S SQUARE
Designed by John Etty, it has been the official residence of the Lord Mayor ever since. York had a Mansion House 25 years before London, whose Mansion House was finished in 1752!
St Helen’s Square was a graveyard until 1745, when it was cleared to give better access to the Assembly Rooms. Go along BLAKE STREET to new ST HELEN’S GRAVEYARD on the right, just past New Street. Point out that the graveyard has risen above street level due to the depth of bodies. By the 19th century, such graveyards were very full, and a health hazard originated due to shallow graves – a dog was once seen running along Coney Street with a human leg in its mouth! Also polluted water supply led to cholera and typhoid.
CONEY STREET
ST. MARTIN-LE-GRAND: Little Admiral on 15th century church bombed on 29 April 1942 ('Baedeeker' Raid). Its clock dates back to 1688 but the present clock and admiral are from 1778 and were heavily repaired after the war. Admiral is used to turn mechanically to follow the sun. It uses a Cross-Staff to determine latitude against the sun or a star. Go into Judges Court on left hand side – here Judges on Assize were lodged when they came to York for Assizes prior to 1806, after which lodged in Judges Lodging on Lendal.
CASTLEGATE – FAIRFAX HOUSE
Built in 1755-6 by Carr, and remodelled by Lord Fairfax of Gilling Castle to console his unmarried daughter Anne, jilted almost at the altar. It is a very fine example of a town house of nobility. It was a scene of much feasting; during its opening party in 1763, only 18 guests consumed 34 bottles of wine and 48 pints ale! The normal daily quota for the Viscount and his daughter was one bottle of sherry + two bottles port!
YORK CASTLE
It was in Debtors Prison that Dick Turpin was held. Public hangings were held in St George’s field outside the prison c.1800-1868. Thereafter, hangings were held in private, and York Castle was last used as prison in 1900.
DICK TURPIN
He was born in 1705 in Hempstead, near Saffron Walden, Essex. He went to school, trained as a butcher and sold meat stolen by night. In 1734-5, he joined Gregory Gang, a vicious gang of housebreakers who tortured householders into revealing whereabouts of valuables. Most of them were caught and hung 1735. 1737 set up with Tom King as highwayman in Epping Forest. In ambush by authorities at Whitechapel, Turpin accidentally shot Tom King and escaped.
Dick Turpin eventually moved to the north and changed his name to John Palmer. He settled in Ferry House Inn, Brough, and became a horse ‘dealer’ (stealer).
On 2 October 1738, he shot a cock in the main street of Brough, and then threatened to murder somebody who complained. He was committed to trial at Beverley, then in York for breach of peace. Early in 1739, he wrote to his brother. The letter was seen in Hempstead and his old schoolmaster recognised his handwriting and travelled to York to identify ‘John Palmer’ as Dick Turpin. On 22 March 1739, he was tried for horse stealing and condemned to death. He was executed in Knavesmire on 7 April 1739, where he behaved with great assurance on gallows. He was buried in St George’s Churchyard, where buried in quicklime as ‘body snatchers’ tried to steal his body. Black Bess first appeared in the 1834 novel ‘Redwood’.
The ride from London to York was actually done by ‘Swift Nicks’ John Nevison in 1676 to provide an alibi.
NEW WALK
In the 1730s the ‘New Walk’ was created from this point along the riverbank towards Fulford, so that the upper classes could promenade and show off their finery away from the dirty narrow streets of the city. One hazard, or perhaps delight, of this was that men used to swim nude in the river. So the city council decreed that ‘men exposing themselves naked in the water be prosecuted for a nuisance!’
To service the needs of high-class citizens using the New Walk Davy Tower was converted into a public toilet. This was known as the ‘Sugar house’, which shows that ‘sugar’ is a very old euphemism for shit!
MICKLEGATE has many fine 18th century houses where gentry used to spend winter for York Season.
MICKLEGATE HOUSE (now Backpackers Hostel) was built by John Carr for John Bourchier, whose country house was Beningbrough Hall.
On the same side further up is No. 114. Here in 1803 Joseph Hansom who later invented the Hansom Cab (House currently a Pizza House).
Bar Convent and Red House
Other notable buildings of the era are the Bar Convent (still a working convent), with its beautifully tiled courtyard, and the Red House near the Minster, now Red House Antiques and home to an impressive collection of Georgian, Victorian and art deco artefacts.The Bar Convent is the oldest living convent in England. It was founded in 1686 by Frances Bedingfield in a private house and rebuilt in 1765-9 by York architect Thomas Atkinson. It was a school run by Mary Ward’s Institute for 299 years. Mary Ward’s order came to be known as the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary and has now been renamed the Congregation of Jesus. Courtyard glazed over 1860’s.
The CHAPEL is a hidden Georgian gem, based on the design of a church in Rome. It was designed by Atkinson 1765-9 and is concealed from outside gaze, as it was technically illegal until granted a licence in 1791. That is why it has eight exits, all leading separately out, to many different staircases and a priest hole with a secret passage to street. The domes are concealed under skylights, and the windows are high up or able to be blocked by rising shutters to keep out prying eyes. The Chapel is practically invisible from the garden below. The Chapel houses the hand of St Margaret Clitherow, martyred in York in 1586 for her catholic faith by being crushed under a door.
Some useful contacts:
Assembly Rooms
Now houses Ask Restaurant, 4 Blake Street, York. Tel: 01904 637254.
Red House Antiques Centre
Duncombe Place, York. Tel: 01904 637000, website www.redhouseyork.co.uk
Fairfax House
Castlegate, York. Tel: 01904 655543, website: www.fairfaxhouse.co.uk
Bar Convent Museum
Blossom Street, York Tel: 01904 643238, website: www.bar-convent.org.uk
For any further information and your free guide to York please contact: York Visitor Information Centre, Tel: 01904 550099, email: info@visityork.org or visit the website at www.visityork.org
Press contact: Kay Hyde, PR Manager - Visit York, Tel: 01904 554451, email: kh@visityork.org website: www.visityork.org