Kings Arms

A lovely sunny but cool day in York, so I had a short trip into the city centre. On my last visit at the beginning of the month there were floods, and I shared a shot of the Kings Arms pub surrounded by flood water - http://365project.org/fishers/365/2020-11-04

Dione Giorgio (@sangwann) was curious about the sign, which shows Richard III, so here it is, along with another sign just around the corner.

It's history and links with King Richard are found in this extract from a VisitYork guide:

This is an early 17th century building. As it had no fireplaces or partitions originally, it may have been a custom house, or a warehouse. It had very thick walls to protect from floods. There is a legend that bodies of criminals laid out here before being hung from old Ouse Bridge.

King's Staith was a major quayside until the 19th century. It may refer to royal visits to nearby castle and Franciscan Friary, though the name only appears to be common from 17th century.

It was first recorded as a pub in 1783 or 1795 as King's Arms; then in the 19th century as ‘Ouse Bridge Inn’. It reverted to its old name in 1974.

The inn sign depicts King Richard III, who as a boy grew up at Middleham Castle, and as Duke of Gloucester visited York frequently from Sheriff Hutton. He was very popular in York, and invested his son Prince of Wales in York Minster. He also halved York’s tax burden.

The City Council sent men to help him at Bosworth, but to no avail and it is recorded in the Council Minutes, kept in the Council Chamber on old Ouse Bridge “that King Richard, late lawfully reigning over us, was through great treason piteously slain and murdered, to the great heaviness of this City”.

Ian

[Fisher Family]

@sangwann - a close-up shot for you of the Kings Arms signs on Kings Staith, York

[Kerri Michaels]

cool

[Peter Dulis]

lovely

[william wooderson]

A very well established pub - but do you think it will keep going post-Covid?! It's been a tough time for pubs/restaurants as it is...

[bkb in the city]

Thanks for the history

[Joyce Lancaster]

Interesting History and great shots

[carol white]

Great shots and interesting narrative

[Margaret Brown]

So much history. A great capture too

[Pyrrhula]

Great shots of the arms and nice history tale.

[gloria jones]

Neat images and super history info

[Kathy A]

Thank you for telling us all about it

[Dione Giorgio]

Thanks for sharing this. I immediately recognised Richard III when I saw the sign the other day. Now you have confirmed it. I have a book book titled " We speak no treason" by Rosemary Hawley Jarman, historical novel which I bought many years ago and have read a few times over which gives a completely different picture of Richard to books published during the reign of subsequent monarchs.

[Pat]

Fascinating history and great shots of this lovely sign, fav.

[Fisher Family]

@moviegal1 @pdulis @will_wooderson @bkbinthecity @thistle01 @carolmw @craftymeg @pyrrhula @seattlite @kjarn @sangwann @pattyblue

Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.

Will (@will_wooderson) asked if I thought this pub would keep going after the Covid-19 pandemic ends. Well, it has been a great success in recent years, and is popular with visitors (including many international visitors) who have seen it on tv news every time there is a flood, so I expect it will continue to do well, unless York's tourist industry collapses completely.

Ian