Davygate is a major shopping 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

During the Roman period, the site of Davygate lay just inside the

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 ...

, and was covered by barracks. In the 12th-century, the land on which the street now lies was given to John, the King's Larderer. By 1226, it was owned by his son, David, who was living in a house on the land, which became known as Davy Hall. A street gradually developed, which became known as "Davygate", after the hall. The hall itself became the prison of the

Forest of Galtres The royal Forest of Galtres was established by the Norman kings of England in North Yorkshire, to the north of the Ancient City of York, extending right to its very walls. The main settlement within the royal forest was the market village of Easi ...

. By the mid-16th century, the hall was regarded as a liberty, outside the jurisdiction of the city, and it had been divided into tenements, where poor artisans could live, and make and sell goods without paying taxes or adhering to quality standards. It was demolished in 1744, and the site was used partly for a new graveyard for St Helen's, Stonegate, and partly to construct New Street. St Helen's former graveyard, at the north-west end of Davygate, was paved over to create

St Helen's Square St Helen's Square is an open space in the city centre of York, England. History During the Roman era, Eboracum's south-western gate, the ''porta praetorian'', lay where the square is now located. Until the mid-18th century, much of the space ...

. The south-eastern end of the street was widened in 1891. It became a major shopping street, and almost all the buildings on its length have since been demolished and replaced.

Layout and architecture

The street runs south-east from

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 ...

. Before 1745, it started slightly further north-west, at a junction with

Coney Street Coney Street is a major shopping street in the city centre of York, in England. The street runs north-west from the junction of Spurriergate and Market Street, to St Helen's Square. New Street leads off the north-east side of the street, as ...

and Stonegate. On the south-west side, it has a junction with New Street. The south-west side of the street mostly consists of neo-Georgian buildings, the latest dating from the 1950s. Until 2019, part of the range was occupied by a branch of

Debenhams Debenhams plc was a British department store chain operating in the United Kingdom, Denmark and the Republic of Ireland. It was founded in 1778 as a single store in London and grew to 178 locations across those countries, also owning the Danish ...

. 20 Davygate is a listed building, its earliest sections dating from the 18th-century, but repeatedly rebuilt. On the north-east side, 15 Davygate has a half-timbered facade, originally designed for

Liberty's Liberty, commonly known as Liberty's, is a luxury department store in London, England. It is located on Great Marlborough Street in the West End of London. The building spans from Carnaby Street on the East to Kingly Street on the West, where ...

. It was rebuilt as the Tudor Cafe in 1927, with a notable art nouveau interior, but this was destroyed in the 1950s, when it was converted into a bank. Part of the street has been occupied since 1900 by Brown's department store. 3-5 Davygate is described by the

City of York Council City of York Council is the municipal governing body of the City of York, a unitary authority in Yorkshire, England. It is composed of 47 councillors, one, two, or three for each of the 21 electoral wards of York. It is responsible for all local ...

as "one of the best contemporary designs" in the city centre.

References

{{Streets of York Streets in York