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The Kings Arms is a pub lying by the River Ouse in the city centre of 
The pub floods, on average, four times a year, and does not hold flood insurance. Historically, it would remain open for regulars even when flooded, but this is no longer permitted, as the river water may be contaminated. In 1982, the brewery put a new flood protocol in place. A flood gate is put across the front door, and customers are served in the back bar. Once the flood waters reach the back door, the pub is closed, and all the fixtures and fittings can be dismantled and stored upstairs. The beer and electrics are all upstairs and so are not damaged even by floodwaters 4.5 metres above usual river levels. A chart on the wall marks historic flood heights, the highest being 2000, when floodwater nearly reached the ceiling of the bar.
The pub sign depicts
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.
The building lies across King's Staith
King's Staith is a street in the city centre of York, in England.
History
The street was constructed in 1366 as the main quay for the city, replacing various small timber wharves. Its name has been connected to royals visiting the city in th ...
from the River Ouse, on its corner with King Street. The building is the only surviving building to form part of First Water Lane, a medieval street that was demolished in a slum clearance program in 1852 and was rebuilt as King Street. A road sign on the building reads; "King Street (formerly Kergate)", as a tribute to the original medieval name of First Water Lane.
It was built in the early-17th century, with the upper floor and north and east walls timber framed. The south and west walls are particularly thick, to provide some protection against flooding, and constructed of brick and stone, some of which is reused from Mediaeval buildings. The building originally had no fireplaces or internal walls, and so is believed to have been constructed as a warehouse or custom house
A custom house or customs house was traditionally a building housing the offices for a jurisdictional government whose officials oversaw the functions associated with importing and exporting goods into and out of a country, such as collecting c ...
from trade coming up the river.
The building was recorded as the "Kings Arms" pub by 1795, but in 1867 it was renamed as the "Ouse Bridge Inn", for the nearby Ouse Bridge. By 1898, it was owned by the Samuel Smith Old Brewery
Samuel Smith Old Brewery, popularly known as Samuel Smith's or Sam Smith's, is an independent brewery and pub owner based in Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, England. It is Yorkshire's oldest brewery, founded in 1758, and one of three breweries in th ...
. They renovated it with new doors and windows, and the rear wing by King Street appears to have been completely rebuilt, the north and east walls rebuilt in brick. In 1973, the pub was again renovated, and the "Kings Arms" name was reinstated. In 1983, the pub was Grade II listed
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 ...
.
The pub floods, on average, four times a year, and does not hold flood insurance. Historically, it would remain open for regulars even when flooded, but this is no longer permitted, as the river water may be contaminated. In 1982, the brewery put a new flood protocol in place. A flood gate is put across the front door, and customers are served in the back bar. Once the flood waters reach the back door, the pub is closed, and all the fixtures and fittings can be dismantled and stored upstairs. The beer and electrics are all upstairs and so are not damaged even by floodwaters 4.5 metres above usual river levels. A chart on the wall marks historic flood heights, the highest being 2000, when floodwater nearly reached the ceiling of the bar.
The pub sign depicts Richard III of England
Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...
. A legend claims that the bodies of executed criminals were laid out in the building, before being hanged from Ouse Bridge.
References