mediaeval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
Grade I listed building
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 Irel ...
in the
Micklegate
Micklegate is a street in the City of York, England. The name means "Great Street", "gate" coming from the Old Norse ''gata'', or street.
Micklegate is described by York City Council as "one of the most handsome streets in Yorkshire", and was ...
area 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. It is the church hall of
Holy Trinity, Micklegate
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
.
Architecture
The building was originally a
hall house
The hall house is a type of vernacular house traditional in many parts of England, Wales, Ireland and lowland Scotland, as well as northern Europe, during the Middle Ages, centring on a hall. Usually timber-framed, some high status examples wer ...
, consisting of a hall rising the full two-stories of the building, with a wing at the east end. It may have had a matching wing at the west end, but no evidence survives. The house is timber-framed, with the ground floor infilled with Mediaeval brick. Its upper floor is
jettied
Jettying (jetty, jutty, from Old French ''getee, jette'') is a building technique used in medieval timber-frame buildings in which an upper floor projects beyond the dimensions of the floor below. This has the advantage of increasing the availa ...
. Its main entrance has a 15th-century canopy. The roof is of
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 ...
construction, the roof in the wing being a reconstruction.
History
The origin of the building is not known with certainty, but its current custodians claim that it was built in about 1474 as lodgings for a chantry priest based at neighbouring
Holy Trinity Priory
The Holy Trinity Priory, also known as Christchurch Aldgate, was a priory of Austin canons ( Black Canons) founded around 1108 by the English queen Matilda of Scotland near Aldgate in London.Dissolution of the Monasteries, the building was purchased by Isabella Ward, former prioress of Clementhorpe Nunnery. She lived in the house with her sister, which appears to have been divided in two during this period. Before Ward's death, she donated the property to the
Feoffee
Under the feudal system in England, a feoffee () is a trustee who holds a fief (or "fee"), that is to say an estate in land, for the use of a beneficial owner. The term is more fully stated as a feoffee to uses of the beneficial owner. The use o ...
s of York. They permitted her to continue to live in the house for a
peppercorn rent
In legal parlance, a peppercorn is a metaphor for a very small cash payment or other nominal consideration, used to satisfy the requirements for the creation of a legal contract. It is featured in ''Chappell & Co Ltd v Nestle Co Ltd'' (960AC 87) ...
of one red rose a year.
During the early 17th-century, the house was used as a rectory for
Holy Trinity, Micklegate
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...
. A first floor was added to the hall, making the whole building two stories. Around this date, new windows and fireplaces were added, many of which survive. The building was again divided into two houses, then in the 1740s was converted into a pub, for the first time known as "Jacobs Well".
In about 1790, the building was converted back to a house, leased by Roger Glover and John Furnish, who ran a
stagecoach
A stagecoach is a four-wheeled public transport coach used to carry paying passengers and light packages on journeys long enough to need a change of horses. It is strongly sprung and generally drawn by four horses although some versions are draw ...
business. They obtained fire insurance for the building, the sun mark for which survives. In 1815, they had a third storey, of brick, added to the wing, and an extension built to house a kitchen. This extension covered the original entrance, so a new entrance was created on Trinity Lane, which remains the main entrance to the building.
With the alterations complete, the building again became a pub, with two bars downstairs, and accommodation for the landlord above. However, it struggled to make money in its hidden location, and in 1903 the alcohol license was surrendered. The feoffees retained ownership of the building, and they decided that it should become a parish room for Holy Trinity Church.
In 1905, local antiquarian Walter Harvey Brook made major alterations to the building, adding a new staircase, bay window and fireplace, and creating a new door to the garden. A 15th-century canopy was added to the main entrance, taken from the Old Wheatsheaf Inn on
Davygate
Davygate is a major shopping street in the city centre of York, in England.
History
During the Roman period, the site of Davygate lay just inside the city walls, and was covered by barracks. In the 12th-century, the land on which the street ...
.
By the 1980s, the building was in danger of collapse, in part due to vibrations caused by traffic passing along Trinity Lane. In order to save it, the brick top storey was removed, and a new roof constructed for the wing to match that over the hall. This work was completed in 1991, and since then, use of the building has been under the care of
Holy Trinity, Micklegate
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...