King's Staith is a street in the city centre of

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

, 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 the 14th-century, but the name was not recorded until the 17th-century. The King's Staith formed the water front end of three long, narrow medieval streets known as The Water Lanes. These lanes were demolished as part of a slum clearance program in 1852 but the three modern streets King Street, Cumberland Street and Lower Friargate follow roughly the same layout. Several buildings on King's Staith survived the clearances and remain to this day, including

Cumberland House Cumberland House was a mansion on the south side of Pall Mall in London, England. It was built in the 1760s by Matthew Brettingham for Prince Edward, Duke of York and Albany and was originally called York House. The Duke of York died in 1767 a ...

and the Kings Arms Pub which, from early-17th century formed the water front end of First Water Lane. Pudding Holes, a public washing site, lay at the southern end of the street, just north of the walls of the York Franciscan Friary. In the 17th-century, the street was extended beyond its walls.

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'' (195 ...

claims that the friary's remaining waterside wall lies on the street, although the

City of York Council City of York Council is the local authority for the city of York, in the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. York has had a city council from medieval times, which has been reformed on numerous occasions. Since 1996 the council has be ...

argue that the friary has no visible remains. In 1774, the street was raised, and in 1821, new steps were constructed at its northern end, leading up to the new

Ouse Bridge Ouse Bridge may refer to: * Ouse Bridge, York, a historic bridge in the centre of the city of York, England * Ouse Bridge (M62), a bridge carrying the M62 motorway over the River Ouse near Goole, England * Ouse Bridge railway station, a short-li ...

, replacing older steps known as "Salthole Grese" or the "Grecian Steps". The street remained the city's main quay until the 20th-century, and it is currently used by pleasure boats. Its contains some outside dining areas, and most of the buildings are occupied by pubs and restaurants. The street frequently floods, and the floodwater levels are marked inside the King's Arms pub.

Layout and architecture

The street runs south-east, from Ouse Bridge, to Davy Tower on the

York City Walls York has, since Roman Britain, Roman times, been defended by defensive wall, walls of one form or another. To this day, substantial portions of the walls remain, and York has more miles of intact wall than any other city in England. They are k ...

, beyond which its route continues as the New Walk path through Tower Gardens. King Street, Cumberland Street and Lower Friargate lead off its north-eastern side, and steps connect it to Peckitt Street. All the buildings on the street lie on the north-eastern side. Notable structures include the Kings Arms pub, with 17th-century origins; the 19th-century 7 King's Staith; and

, a

Grade I listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

constructed in about 1710.

References

External links

1366 establishments in England Streets in York Waterfronts {{England-road-stub