Merchant Adventurers Hall

This is one of the finest medieval guild halls in Europe, comprising a great hall with undercroft, chapel, entrance extension, and Governor's Parlour wing. The hall and undercroft were built between 1357 and 1361 for the Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York, partly rebuilt with an inserted stack in the late 16th century, and the hall refenestrated around 1720. The chapel dates from around 1410, was refitted in 1667, and re-roofed with the gable end partly rebuilt in the early 20th century. The entrance extension was built around 1600, partly rebuilt and restored in 1935. The Parlour wing dates from around 1950. Major restorations with some rebuilding took place in 1927, 1935, and later.

Materials and Construction

The undercroft is constructed of magnesian limestone and rose wall tiles, with the right return rebuilt in red brick in irregular bond and the left return in mottled brick in stretcher bond. The hall features exposed timber-framing with rendered infill panels, with framing in the left return renewed. The chapel is built of magnesian limestone and orange-red brick. The entrance extension has orange brick in English bond on the ground floor, with the right return in red brick in irregular bond; the upper floor is timber-framed with rendered infill panels and timber doorcases. The Parlour wing is in orange brick in stretcher bond with moulded brick dressings. All roofs are tiled with a rebuilt brick stack.

Plan

The hall and undercroft comprise eight unequal bays in two parallel ranges. The chapel lies to the south-east. The north-east entrance extension has three bays in three parallel ranges. The L-shaped Governor's Parlour wing attaches to the south-east of the entrance extension.

Entrance Front to Fossgate

The entrance front presents a triple-gabled three-bay extension of two storeys with attics, with the two-storey Governor's Parlour wing to the left. In the left bay, a restored doorcase features tapering Ionic pilasters raised on pedestals carved with fretwork ornament, with a moulded cornice over a jewelled frieze of arabesques and lion masks, and replacement geometric-panelled double doors. The first floor entrance in the centre bay between storeys is approached by a flight of steps to 20th-century panelled double doors. Ground floor windows have two brick mullioned lights; on the first floor, three transomed lights with horizontal sliding sashes. Attic windows are of two lights with ovolo mullions and frames. The gables are finished with restored bargeboards carved with vine trails, terminating in Tudor flower stops and shaped pendant finials.

To the left of the entrance extension, behind the Governor's Parlour wing, stands the two-storey four-bay hall and undercroft front. The undercroft has a blocked doorway in a two-centred chamfered arch and a low recess beneath a depressed pointed arch with an indecipherable black letter inscription; above these are two inserted lights. Towards the left end is a square-headed window of two cinquefoiled lights, with a second similar window now altered to a doorway. On the hall floor, windows are 18-pane sashes, one in the left end bay altered to a doorway.

Piccadilly Front

This front is of two storeys and eight bays. An inserted panelled door in a two-centred brick arch stands at the left end of the undercroft. At the right end, an altered window of two lights has a double hollow-chamfered timber surround and mullion with moulded base, reversed and reset. The remaining windows are trefoiled single lights in stone surrounds, one beneath a tall pointed arch of a blocked former doorway. At the far right, the chapel has a square-headed window of three cinquefoiled lights in a chamfered surround. On the hall floor, windows are 18-pane sashes.

Left Return

This presents a two-bay twin-gabled front to the hall and undercroft on a moulded double chamfered plinth, with the left bay jettied within the chapel. The undercroft has an angle buttress to the right and a restored inserted window of three cinquefoiled lights. The chapel has a similar five-light window in a chamfered surround and a moulded and chamfered plinth; in the gable end, a blind recess beneath a flat arch of rubbed brick, round-arched in the centre.

Right Return

This shows a two-storey return to the entrance extension, to the left of a two-bay twin-gabled hall, both parts jettied. The extension has an inserted two-light timber mullion window on the ground floor and a blocked three-light window to the left of a restored two-light timber mullion window on the first floor. The undercroft has eight narrow rectangular windows in hollow chamfered brick surrounds. The hall has a four-light window with diamond mullions in each gable. Windows except those to the hall have square or diamond lattice glazing.

Interior of Entrance Extension

A 20th-century staircase features a moulded close string, pilaster balusters, heavy moulded handrail, and carved square newels with shaped finials. On the ground floor, a restored brick fireplace with three-centred brick arch stands alongside a huge board listing Benefactions as at 'Midsummer' 1849.

On the first floor, the first room to the left has a stone fireplace with crocketed Gothick panel jambs and a frieze carved with foliage and masks; to the right, a plank cupboard door and further right, a three-panel door on butterfly hinges. The second room to the left has a fireplace in a chamfered two-centred arch. The room to the right is entered through a three-panel door and has a fireplace with a timber lintel to the left of a panelled cupboard door on butterfly hinges. The roofs have principal rafter trusses with butt purlins.

Undercroft

Entered from the extension through a two-centred arch, chamfered externally and rebated internally beneath a chamfered segmental rere-arch, the undercroft has a central arcade of seven square chamfer-stopped posts with enlarged heads braced to axial and transverse beams. The outer ends of transverse beams are tenoned into shortened posts, most raised on corbels, some on re-used upturned moulded capitals. A massive bank of four chimney stacks stands in chamfered surrounds with four-centred arches. Some windows retain shutter hinges.

Hall

Entered from the extension through a round door arch on incised panel pilaster jambs and eight-panel double doors with semicircular head, the hall has a central arcade of seven chamfered posts with attached cornice capitals and enlarged heads braced to axial and tie beams. The dais end of the east aisle is lined with run-through panelling. The west aisle is fitted with a panelled triple Stall of round-headed alcove seats with desks set within a pilastered Ionic screen beneath a pedimented entablature with pulvinated frieze and modillion cornice. Above hangs a painted carving of the Arms of the Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York.

The chimneypiece of Doric pilasters supporting a moulded cornice has a cast-iron grate within an eared architrave of timber beneath a three-centred stone lintel with keyblock, and a painted overmantel panel recording repairs of 1849. Cupboard doors of fielded panels flank the chimneypiece. The side walls are lined with 17th-century wooden benches on Tuscan column legs. The wall above the main door retains two four-light windows with diamond mullions, now blocked; adjoining one window is a panel with stencilled decoration of rosettes.

The Committee Room is partitioned off the hall, entered through a six-panel door in a fluted doorcase with angle roundels and cornice head. A similar cupboard door stands to the left of the rebuilt brick fireplace. There is a moulded ceiling cornice. The roofs have kerb-principal trusses, four with crown posts, three collared.

Chapel

The four-centred entrance arch of two continuously moulded orders is filled with a restored screen of trefoiled lights with mouchette tracery and a 20th-century tympanum of arched lights; central double gates have tapering turned balusters, ramped-up at the outer ends. Two tiers of benches with desks of moulded panelling are arranged in collegiate form, with rear benches fixed to similar wall panelling beneath a moulded dado rail, and bench ends carved with volutes. Box pews flank the sanctuary, one incorporating the Governor's Seat with turned legs and shaped arms, and a dado rail enriched with consoles.

An octagonal pulpit has two tiers of shaped and moulded panels. Communion rails feature slender turned balusters, a moulded rail, and a central gate between square posts with ball finials and shaped brackets at the foot. The wall below the window is fitted with run-through panelling.

Boards include paired round-headed panels with ball finials for the Lord's Prayer, Creed, and Decalogue; Royal Arms with C2R cypher dated 1669; and Arms of the Merchant Adventurers of England dated 1765. There is a carved and painted mace rest dated 1707 and 1801. Stained glass from around 1910 depicts two medieval seals of the Company.

Governor's Parlour

A reset chimneypiece has a fire surround of sunk-panel pilasters and a two-panel frieze carved with dragons, with a massive overmantel between Ionic pilasters supporting an elaborate moulded cornice and panelled frieze. The overmantel is carved with pedimented Arms of the Company and spandrels filled with birds and beasts in scrolled foliage. Late 19th-century stained glass panels depict merchant shipping.