Church Street is a street 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.

History

The area now occupied by the street lay just inside the city walls of Roman

Eboracum Eboracum () was a fort and later a city in the Roman province of Britannia. In its prime it was the largest town in northern Britain and a provincial capital. The site remained occupied after the decline of the Western Roman Empire and ultimat ...

, and it roughly follows the line of the ''Intervallum'' street. In 1972, excavations on the street found part of the city's sewers, providing draining from the bathhouses. The street was recorded under the name Girdlergate from the 14th-century, when it was known as a location for the manufacture of

girdle A belt, especially if a cord or rope, is called a girdle if it is worn as part of Christian liturgical vestments, or in certain historical, literary or sports contexts. Girdles are used to close a cassock in Christian denominations, including th ...

s. At that time, it was shorter, running only from Swinegate to

Petergate Petergate is a street in the city centre of York, in England. It is divided into High Petergate and Low Petergate. The well-known view of the Minster from Low Petergate is described by the City of York Council as "excellent". History Petergate ...

. At the south-western end of the street lay the church of St Sampson, Girdlergate. In 1835, the street was rebuilt. It was extended south-west, to reach the new

St Sampson's Square St Sampson's Square is an open space, and former marketplace, in the city centre of York, England. History In the 12th-century, the area now occupied by the square was known as Arkilltofts, possibly named after Arnketil, a leading figure in t ...

, and was renamed "Church Street". The street was also widened and, other than the church, all the buildings along its length were demolished and replaced over the next couple of years. All are of brick, and it is believed that some were designed by Pickersgill and Oates. The street now forms part of the city's central shopping area.

Layout and architecture

The street now runs north-east, from

, where it meets Silver Street; to King's Square, where it meets Low Petergate and

Goodramgate Goodramgate is a street in the city centre of York, in England. History The area now covered by Goodramgate lay within the walls of Roman Eboracum. The street runs diagonally across the line of former Roman buildings, from the Porta Decumana ( ...

. Halfway along, Patrick Pool runs to the south, and Swinegate to the north. Most of the buildings on the street date from the 1830s and are now listed buildings. On the north-west side, the listed buildings are 1A, 1, 2, 7, 10 and 11. The Golden Lion pub first received a licence in 1711, but it was rebuilt in the 1830s, and again in 1970. On the south-east side, 12 and 12A, 13, 14 and 14A, and 15-18 are all listed buildings, in addition to St Sampson's Church.

References

{{Streets of York Streets in York