St Anthonys Hall

St Anthony's Hall, York

A timber-framed medieval building originally constructed for the Guild of St Anthony between 1446 and 1453, later refaced in brick and remodelled in 1655. The building underwent further alterations in 1828 and between 1839 and 1850, including re-roofing, and was renovated in 1952–53. It has served variously as a guildhall, military hospital, prison, and school, and now houses the Institute of Historical Research.

The structure comprises an undercroft with chapel and hospital beneath a nine-bay aisled hall on the first floor. The ground floor incorporates magnesian limestone on two sides, with red brick in irregular bond elsewhere, and first-floor walls of red brick. Moulded stone first-floor string and moulded brick dressings ornament the facades. The roofs are slate in three parallel ranges, topped with brick stacks.

The Peasholme Green front presents two storeys with four windows on chamfered and moulded plinths. A chamfered doorway, positioned left of centre, features flush panelled double doors beneath a cross-glazed oeil-de-boeuf. To the left, a four-centred window opening contains paired 30-pane sashes and is now blocked; to the right sit three restored square-headed windows with similar sashes. All window openings are moulded with coved hoodmoulds terminating in shield stops. First-floor windows comprise three transomed lights with large-pane casements. The eaves feature cogged brickwork.

The rear elevation retains a single barred prison window on the ground floor beneath a later pent canopy roof. A blocked first-floor window at the right end preserves a wide segmental brick arch.

The Aldwark front displays two storeys arranged in three gabled bays, with the centre bay rising higher, all set upon chamfered and moulded plinths. The left bay contains a four-centred doorway, now blocked by a 12-pane sash window, flanked by round-headed niches with square hoodmoulds beneath decayed stone panels. The centre bay retains an original window of two cinquefoiled lights in a square head, positioned between later inserted windows of differing designs. First-floor windows consist of three lights beneath moulded brick pediments; the left window displays moulded mullions and transom, the centre window comprises two tiers of 20-pane lights, and the right window matches the Peasholme Green pattern. An oeil-de-boeuf with crossed glazing bars set within a double chamfered brick surround crowns the centre gable apex. Two rainwater heads decorate this front: one box-shaped and enriched with winged cherubs dated 1771, and one inverted bell form. A cast-iron boundary marker for St Saviour's Parish, dated 1842, is fixed to the ground-floor masonry at the left end.

The right return to the garden echoes the Aldwark front design, standing on a chamfered plinth. A glazed and panelled door with a tall 16-pane overlight sits to the left of a central canted bay window displaying a pulvinated cornice and 24:42:24-pane sashes. Flanking this are tripartite windows with 12:30:12-pane sashes in chamfered surrounds. First-floor windows again feature moulded brick pediments. The oeil-de-boeuf and two winged cherub rainwater heads dated 1771 match those on the Aldwark front.

The ground-floor interior retains little original timber framing. At the Aldwark end, braced wall posts and moulded corbels support moulded beams. A cross passage ceiling is carried on two-centred chamfered arches springing from moulded corbels. An open string staircase with cast-iron stick balusters and turned newel ascends from this area; a blocked doorway in a chamfered surround lies at the stair foot.

The first-floor hall roof is carried on three crown post trusses with moulded ties and kerb principals at the Aldwark end, continuing on six arch-braced collar trusses springing from demi-angel corbels. Arcades beneath embattled plates are now closed. Aisle roofs feature four-centred plaster vaults between arch-braced moulded ties with renewed centre bosses, supported on angel corbels at post heads.

The Guild of St Anthony was dissolved in 1627, after which the building served multiple purposes including military hospital and prison during the 17th century. From 1705 to 1946, it housed the York Blue Coat School.