Colliergate 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 are occupied by the street lay outside the Roman

city walls A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications with towers, bastions and gates ...

, but fell within the

Canaba A (plural ) was the Latin term for a hut or hovel and was later (from the time of Hadrian) used typically to mean a town that emerged as a civilian settlement () in the vicinity of a Roman legionary fortress (). A settlement that grew up outs ...

e of Eboracum, a residential and industrial area. It is believed that, during the Viking, Jorvik, period, the street formed the eastern side of a lengthy open area. The name of the street first appeared in 1303, arising from the charcoal merchants in the area. A statue of Ebrauk, the legendary founder of the city, stood where the street meets

St Saviourgate St Saviourgate is a historic street in the city of York. St Saviour's Church was built here in the 11th-century, and the street was first mentioned in 1175, as "Ketmongergate", street of the flesh sellers. History The area in which the str ...

; this may have been a reused Roman statue. Margaret Mason's Hospital, an

almshouse An almshouse (also known as a bede-house, poorhouse, or hospital) was charitable housing provided to people in a particular community, especially during the medieval era. They were often targeted at the poor of a locality, at those from certain ...

, was built on the street in 1732, and survived until the 1950s. In 1829, the northern end of the street was widened by demolishing part of

Holy Trinity, King's Court Holy Trinity Church, King's Court, also known as Christ Church, was a parish church in the city centre of York, in England. The church was first recorded in 1268. It was largely or wholly rebuilt in the 14th century, with a nave, north and sout ...

. The church was entirely removed in 1937, and King's Square enlarged, so Colliergate now runs up part of the east side of the square. The

Colliergate drill hall The Colliergate drill hall is a former military installation at the corner of Colliergate and St Andrewgate in York. History The building was designed as a house and then converted to an inn in the mid-18th century. It was altered for military u ...

was opened on the street in 1872, while Barnitts department store opened on the street in 1896. Over time, it has expanded, and it now occupies the drill hall, among other buildings.

Architecture and layout

The street runs from King's Square south to the junction of

and

Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate is a street in York, England, known for its short length and unusual name. A continuation of Colliergate, it runs south to meet Pavement, Fossgate, and the Stonebow, and is adjoined by St Saviourgate St Saviourgate is ...

. North of King's Square, its continuation is

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 ...

. Almost all the buildings on the street are listed. On the west side of the street, numbers 1 and 2, and 3, 4 and 4A date from the Georgian period. 5 Colliergate was originally built in the 16th century, and is also noted for its modern ogee arched doorway. The street continues with building remodelled in the Georgian era: 6 and 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 13 and 14, of which 9 and 11 contain some Mediaeval material. On the east side, all the buildings are listed, most being Georgian.

Nikolaus Pevsner Sir Nikolaus Bernhard Leon Pevsner (30 January 1902 – 18 August 1983) was a German-British art historian and architectural historian best known for his monumental 46-volume series of county-by-county guides, ''The Buildings of England'' (1 ...

describes number 18 and 19 Colliergate as the best building, built in 1748 by Ralph Yoward, while 23 is notable for its staircase, built in 1700. Numbers 21, 22 and 27 have earlier origins, and include some timber framing.

References

{{Streets of York Streets in York