Merchant Taylors' Hall, York
| Merchant Taylors' Hall | |
|
Yorkshire | |
|---|---|
 Merchant Taylors' Hall, York | |
| Type: | Mediæval Guildhall |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | SE60645215 |
| Location: | 53°57’43"N, 1°4’38"W |
| City: | York |
| History | |
| Built 14th Century | |
| For: | The Fraternity of St John the Baptist |
| Mediæval Guildhall | |
| Information | |
| Owned by: | Guild of Merchant Taylors of York |
| Website: | merchant-taylors-york.org |
The Merchant Taylors' Hall in York is a mediæval guildhall near the city wall in the Aldwark area of the city. As it stands within the city wall, it is not within any of the three Ridings of Yorkshire, by in 'York Within the Walls'.
The hall was built by the Fraternity of St John the Baptist (an organisation connected to the Taylors' Guild) in the fourteenth century. It received a new cladding of red brick in the seventeenth century, leaving its mediaeval nature hidden beneath a plain face. Today it is a Grade I listed building.[1]
The main hall is 60 feet by 30 feet, with ceilings 30 feet high. The adjoining Counsel House (sometimes called the Counting House) contains two stained glass windows by York glass painter Henry Gyles. The south window shows Queen Anne, and was made to commemorate her accession to the throne.
In the eighteenth century, the building was used for banquets and entertainment, including rope dancing, tumbling and a pantomime called "The Force of Magick or The Birth of Harlequin".
The building is still used by the Guild of Merchant Taylors of York, and is available to hire. It is a short walk from this Hall to the Merchant Adventurers' Hall, the hall (originally) of the Mercers' Guild in York.
Outside links
References
- ↑ National Heritage List 1259571: Merchant Taylors' Hall