Wealden Hall, York

Wealden Hall
The building in 2024
Wealden Hall, York is located in York City Centre
Wealden Hall, York
Location within York City Centre
General information
LocationGoodramgate, York, England
Coordinates53°57′41″N 1°04′47″W / 53.9614°N 1.0797°W / 53.9614; -1.0797
Year builtc. 1500
Renovated1930–31 (restored and extended)
Listed Building – Grade I
Official name
The Wealden Hall
Designated14 June 1954
Reference no.1257745

The Wealden Hall is a Grade I listed building[1] on Goodramgate in the city centre of York, England.

The building was constructed in about 1500. It is a Wealden hall house, which by the date was a common design in South East England but rare in York. The Wealden Hall and 1 Tanner Row, also in the city, are the two northernmost surviving examples of Wealden halls.[2]

Using the standard Wealden hall design, the building originally had a central hall, with double-storey bays either side. In this case the design was end-on to the street, and, unusually, only the front bays were jettied. In front of the hall a three-storey range was constructed to face the street.[3][4][5] Remains of two windows survive from the original construction, although they were originally unglazed and probably closed with shutters. The rear never had any openings, suggesting that it may have abutted another structure. The size of the house and its jettying suggest that it was built for a wealthy owner.[2]

From the 16th century onwards, many alterations were made to the building: new walls and chimneys were added, attics were constructed and a first floor was inserted into the hall. The front of the building was plastered, probably in 1700, a date now inscribed on the front of the building. The eastern part of the front range became a separate building, now The Snickleway Inn.[3]

In 1930 the building was bought by Cuthbert Morrell for restoration, which was conducted by the architect Harvey Rutherford.[2] Among other changes he restored the hall to its former dimensions and removed the plaster from the street front to reveal the timber framing.[3] The building now belongs to the York Conservation Trust and houses shops, with offices above.[2] It has also been used for exhibitions, such as one in 2012 focusing on the culture of homelessness in the city.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Historic England. "The Wealden Hall (1257745)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Wealden Hall, 49 & 51 Goodramgate". York Conservation Trust. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in City of York, Volume 5, Central. London: HMSO. 1981. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
  4. ↑ Schofield, John; Vince, A. G. (2003). Medieval Towns: The Archaeology of British Towns in Their European Setting. A&G Black. p. 90. ISBN 082646002X.
  5. ↑ Grenville, Jane (1997). Medieval Housing. Leicester: Leicester University Press. pp. 188–189. ISBN 0718514785.
  6. ↑ Kiddey, Rachael (2017). Homeless Heritage: Collaborative Social Archaeology as Therapeutic Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press. p. 155. ISBN 978-0191063848.