The Bowes Morrell House is a historic building on

Walmgate Walmgate is a street in the city centre of York, in England. During the Medieval period, the street was the site of a seafissh and cattle market. Walmgate Bar, was involved in the Siege of York in 1644, during the First English Civil War. Durin ...

in the city centre of

York York is a cathedral city with Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a ...

, in England. The house was one of four for which a licence was granted in 1396 to construct in the churchyard of St Peter-le-Willows. It may have been used as a vicarage for the church, or alternatively for St Margaret's Church. In later years, the building was a cheap lodging house for travelling workers. By the late 19th-century, it was owned by the O'Hara family, bought out by the Kilmartin family in the 1930s. It was nicknamed the "doss house", and had a sign above the door reading "good lodgings down this passage", despite its reputation for poor-quality accommodation. The house is timber framed, with two stories, and originally had an L plan, with the main section being a hall 20 feet long and 10-and-a-half feet wide. An extension was built in the 16th century, giving the building a square plan. In the late-17th century, a further extension was added in brick to the south end of the original building, while the current second floor over the hall dates from the 18th century. The

crown post A crown post is a term in traditional timber framing for a post in roof framing which stands on a '' tie beam'' or ''collar beam'' and supports a ''collar plate''.Alcock, N. W.. Recording timber-framed buildings: an illustrated glossary. London ...

roof survives, as does much of its timber framing, although some has been renewed. The house was partially restored in 1932. In 1954, it was

Grade II* listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

, and in 1966, it was bought and more thoroughly restored by the

York Civic Trust York Civic Trust is a membership organisation and a registered charity based in York, UK. Its primary function is to "preserve, protect and advise on the historic fabric of York". It is based in Fairfax House. Foundation York Civic Trust was fo ...

. It renamed the building after

John Bowes Morrell John Bowes ('J.B.') Morrell (1873–1963) was an English author and historian. He was twice Lord Mayor of York, a leading figure in the local movement to establish a university in York, and founder of the York Conservation Trust. The J.B. Morre ...

, one of its founders. It was later occupied by the

Council for British Archaeology The Council for British Archaeology (CBA) is an educational charity established in 1944 in the UK. It works to involve people in archaeology and to promote the appreciation and care of the historic environment for the benefit of present and futu ...

. In 2004, it was purchased by the

York Conservation Trust The York Conservation Trust is a trust that buys and restores significant historical buildings in York, England, and then makes them available to rent. It was originally an initiative of former Lord Mayor John Bowes Morrell, who started acquiring ...

, and from 2012 it was occupied by the Cyrenians drug and alcohol rehabilitation charity.

References

{{Coords, 53.9559, -1.0732, display=title Grade II* listed buildings in York Houses completed in 1396 Houses in North Yorkshire Timber framed buildings in Yorkshire Walmgate