Clifford Street is a road 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 covered by the street lay outside the 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 ...

, but it was occupied during the Viking

Jorvik Scandinavian York ( non, Jórvík) Viking Yorkshire or Norwegian York is a term used by historians for the south of Northumbria (modern-day Yorkshire) during the period of the late 9th century and first half of the 10th century, when it was do ...

period, with various archaeological finds dating from the era. In the Medieval period, the area was principally residential, the houses lying on Middle Water Lane and Friargate. From 1674, the city's Friends Meeting House was in this area. By 1881, the area was regarded as a slum, and was cleared so that a new street could be constructed. Designed to improve access to the new Skeldergate Bridge, it was named Clifford Street after nearby

Clifford's Tower York Castle is a fortified complex in the city of York, England. It consists of a sequence of castles, prisons, law courts and other buildings, which were built over the last nine centuries on the south side of the River Foss. The now-ruined ...

. The Friends Meeting House was extended, with a new main entrance on the new road. From 1882, the

York Tramways Company The York Tramways Company and its successor the City of York Tramways Company provided a horse-drawn tramway service in York between 1881 and 1909.The Golden Age of Tramways. Published by Taylor and Francis. History The York Tramways Company ...

ran horse-drawn trams along the street. In 1892, a building was opened to house the city' police headquarters and main fire station. The fire station moved to a new building on the street in 1938, which was demolished in 2018 and replaced with apartments. In 1910, the city's electricity board moved into offices on the street, also setting up a showroom. The

York Dungeon York Dungeon is a tourist attraction in York, England. York Dungeon depicts history of the dungeon using actor led shows, special effects and displays of models and objects. The York Dungeons reopened in March 2013 after a period of closure d ...

visitor attraction is located on the street.

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'' ...

described the street as "all of a piece with a series of striking red brick buildings in a variety of styles".

Layout and architecture

The street runs south from the junction of Castlegate,

Coppergate Coppergate is a street in the city centre of York, in England. The street runs north-east from the junction of Castlegate, Nessgate, King Street and Clifford Street, to end at the junction of Pavement, Piccadilly, Parliament Street and High ...

, King Street and Nessgate; to its junction with

Tower Street Tower Street is the name of: * Great Tower Street, originally named "Tower Street", in the City of London * Tower Street, Covent Garden, in London * Tower Street (York), in England See also * Tower Street Adult Correctional Centre __NOTOC__ To ...

and Peckitt Lane. Cumberland Lane and Lower Friargate lead off its western side, while Friargate leads off its eastern side, as does a snickelway, the former Middle Water Lane, leading to Castlegate. Notable buildings on the west side of the street include 12 Clifford Street, the former

York Institute of Art, Science and Literature York Institute of Art, Science and Literature is a Grade II listed building at 12 Clifford Street, York. History and architecture The foundation stone for the building was laid by the Prince of Wales on 18 July 1883 in a ceremony of masonic ...

, designed by

Walter Green Penty Walter Green Penty FRIBA (19 June 1852 – 23 January 1902) was an architect working in York, England. Family He was born in Gate Fulford the son of Thomas Penty (1827-1893) and Maria Green (1831-1863). He married Emma Seller (1847-1937) on 2 ...

; the

York Magistrates' Court York and Selby Magistrates’ Court is a Grade II listed building on Clifford Street, York. History and architecture The foundation stone for the new Courts of Justice was laid on 16 July 1890 by Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avond ...

, designed by Huon Matear; and Clifford Chambers, a block of shops and offices which now includes an entrance to the Grand Opera House theatre. On the east side are the office building at 19 Clifford Street; and 21 Clifford Street, built in 1887 for the

Independent Order of Rechabites The Independent Order of Rechabites (IOR), also known as the Sons and Daughters of Rechab, Alan Axelrod ''International Encyclopedia of Secret Societies and Fraternal Orders'' New York; Facts on File, inc 1997 p.206 is a fraternal organisation ...

, and later used by the

Christadelphians The Christadelphians () or Christadelphianism are a restorationist and millenarian Christian group who hold a view of biblical unitarianism. There are approximately 50,000 Christadelphians in around 120 countries. The movement developed in the ...

, now apartments.

References

{{Streets of York Streets in York