The Judges' Lodgings is an historic building in

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 ...

, England. It was used by judges when they attended the sessions of the

Assize Court The courts of assize, or assizes (), were periodic courts held around England and Wales until 1972, when together with the quarter sessions they were abolished by the Courts Act 1971 and replaced by a single permanent Crown Court. The assizes e ...

s which were held four times each year in York.

History

The Judges' Lodgings is a Grade I listed townhouse, at at 9

Lendal Lendal is a street in the city centre of York, in England. History The street was first mentioned in the 1380s, when it was known as Aldeconyngstrete (Old Coney Street). However, by 1641, it had become known as "Lendal", a contraction of "St ...

, in

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...

. It is so named because from 1806 it provided accommodation for judges visiting York to sit in the Assize Courts.

Construction

The building was erected between 1711 and 1726 on land that formerly belonged to St Wilfred's Church; which had been demolished between 1550 and 1587. In 1736, Francis Drake recorded the recent building of a house for Clifton Winteringham senior in Lendal. He described it as one of the "best built houses in the city". Drake recalled that when the foundations were dug "several cart loads of human bones were thrown up". The architect is unknown, but it may have been

Lord Burlington Earl of Burlington is a title that has been created twice, the first time in the Peerage of England in 1664 and the second in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1831. Since 1858, Earl of Burlington has been a courtesy title used by the duk ...

. He designed and built the

Assembly Rooms In Great Britain and Ireland, especially in the 18th century Britain, 18th and 19th centuries, assembly rooms were gathering places for members of the higher social classes open to members of both sexes. At that time most entertaining was done ...

in 1730, and possibly the Mansion House between 1725 and 1730, both nearby. The house is an early example of the 18th-century classical style. Festoons of fruit emphasise the unusual stone door surround, which is framed by a Venetian style arch. The keystone of the arch is carved with a bearded mask representing Aesculapius, the Greek demi-god of medicine. John Cossins included an image of the house on his '' New and Exact Plan of the City of York'' (1727). The wing to the South-East of the building was built in three stages. In the 18th century, the first two storeys were constructed, in 1806 a further extension was erected and in the mid-19th century, a third storey was added. The outside front stairs are 19th-century, originally there was only a single flight to the front door. The

fireplace A fireplace or hearth is a structure made of brick, stone or metal designed to contain a fire. Fireplaces are used for the relaxing ambiance they create and for heating a room. Modern fireplaces vary in heat efficiency, depending on the design ...

s in the dining room, breakfast room and office are all 19th-century. The main internal staircase is

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

and is made from oak, as are the doors and treads. In the dining room, hidden behind a secret panel, concealed by a window shutter, is a

chamber pot A chamber pot is a portable toilet, meant for nocturnal use in the bedroom. It was common in many cultures before the advent of indoor plumbing and flushing toilets. Names and etymology "Chamber" is an older term for bedroom. The chamber pot ...

, which was for the use of the Judges and other gentlemen diners. During excavations in the early 1980s, a 3 metre by 2 metre area of floor in a mid-18th-century cellar beneath the house was removed. Measurements had shown that the area lay within the rear chamber of the late

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...

interval

tower A tower is a tall structure, taller than it is wide, often by a significant factor. Towers are distinguished from masts by their lack of guy-wires and are therefore, along with tall buildings, self-supporting structures. Towers are specifi ...

, one of six along the south-west façade of the Roman fortress.

Excavations In archaeology, excavation is the exposure, processing and recording of archaeological remains. An excavation site or "dig" is the area being studied. These locations range from one to several areas at a time during a project and can be condu ...

revealed that the cellar builders had dug out any remaining late Roman levels, although part of an early Roman building was found represented entirely by its foundations of cobbles and clay, lying on a similar alignment to the fortress itself.

Early use

It was built as the private residence for Clifton Winteringham senior (1689–1748), a medical practitioner. He was appointed Physician at

York County Hospital York County Hospital (1740–1977) was a hospital in York, England. The building, which is grade II listed, has been converted for residential use. History The hospital has its origins in a small hospital established in Monkgate in April 1740. ...

in March 1746. Winteringham was a governor of the hospital and attended the

Earl of Carlisle Earl of Carlisle is a title that has been created three times in the Peerage of England. History The first creation came in 1322, when Andrew Harclay, 1st Baron Harclay, was made Earl of Carlisle. He had already been summoned to Parliamen ...

at nearby

Castle Howard Castle Howard is a stately home in North Yorkshire, England, within the civil parish of Henderskelfe, located north of York. It is a private residence and has been the home of the Carlisle branch of the Howard family for more than 300 years ...

. He authored books and practised in York for over 35 years. On the main door of the building is the Greek god of healing, Aesculapius. Dr Winteringham is buried in St. Michael-le-Belfrey Church, opposite

York Minster The Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, commonly known as York Minster, is the cathedral of York, North Yorkshire, England, and is one of the largest of its kind in Northern Europe. The minster is the seat of the Arch ...

. After his death, the building was bought by Dr. John Dealtry.

Later uses

In 1806 the building was bought out of county rates for use as the Judges' residence, when they attended the quarterly sessions at the Assize Courts at York Castle. These were criminal courts held for the most serious crimes in the country. The judges were of the Kings Bench Division of the High Court of Justice. It was given five commissioners, picked from Justices of the Peace for the Three Ridings. A Mr and Mrs Kilvington were appointed to keep house, for which they received a salary from the county. The rooms on the top floor of this building were allocated to the Judge's own staff and the rooms in the wing were kept for resident housekeepers. The Judges' Lodgings now serve as a hotel and bar.

References

{{reflist Residential buildings completed in 1726 Grade I listed houses Grade I listed buildings in York 1726 establishments in Great Britain Hotels in York