St William’s College was built in 1465 for York Minster’s Chantry Priests, a community of around 24, known as fellows, who received advance payments for praying for the souls of their deceased benefactors. The fellows’ behaviour, which often included drunkenness, had previously brought embarrassment for the Archbishop of York and he deemed they should have their own residence.
The Grade I listed building is named after William Fitzherbert, Archbishop of York (1143 – 1147), who was canonised in 1226. He was the nephew of King Stephen and great-grandson of William the Conqueror.
It was built in 1465. The timber-framed building is situated in College Street, to which it gave its name, adjacent to the Minster and was in use by the Chantry Priests until the 16th century. From then and into the 17th century St William’s was divided into apartments rented to some of York’s more affluent residents.
Over the centuries the building changed ownership and usage many times; it became home to the Royal Printing Press during the Civil War, a private house – having several changes and rebuilds, windows were added to the street frontage in the 1800s and finally the beautiful medieval building contained nothing more than slum dwellings resulting in its disrepair. In the late 19th century Francis Green, owner of the nearby Treasurer’s House, rescued St William’s from ruin, buying it and subsequently selling it back to the City Council at no personal profit thereby allowing the council to restore it to its former glory around 1902. It then came under the care of the Dean and Chapter of York Minster.
The building was restored again in the 1980s, and was then used in part as a restauraunt, and other rooms were available for hire as a venue for conferences, exhibitions, musical events, banquets and wedding receptions.
Sadly the building has been empty and unused since January 2020, although there are plans for further redevelopment and reuse with proposed work to start in 2024. This is part of major redevelopments planned to take place in the whole area around the Minster.
Quite recently College Green, the grass area in the foreground of the shot has had improvements made, with an improved path (where I'm stood), new plants, trees and seating installed, and the lawns renewed.
It’s a truly beautiful building.
Is St William the Archbishop who went to visit the Pope, returned to great acclaim and a huge gathering on Ouse Bridge which collapsed under the weight of so many people? He was canonised because no one died - a miracle! I think he died shortly afterwards, and wasn’t it a suspicious death?
Lovely wide lens shot.
You are quite right about St William being the archbishop. He was removed as archbishop for several years before being reinstated as a result of his visit to the Pope. He died about a month after the miracle of Ouse Bridge. It is believed he died due to poison in communion wine.
Is St William the Archbishop who went to visit the Pope, returned to great acclaim and a huge gathering on Ouse Bridge which collapsed under the weight of so many people? He was canonised because no one died - a miracle! I think he died shortly afterwards, and wasn’t it a suspicious death?
Lovely wide lens shot.
Thank you all for your lovely comments and favs, they are very much appreciated.
With such interesting and attractive buildings, it is easy to understand why York city centre has been proposed as a World Heritage Site.
Ian
You are quite right about St William being the archbishop. He was removed as archbishop for several years before being reinstated as a result of his visit to the Pope. He died about a month after the miracle of Ouse Bridge. It is believed he died due to poison in communion wine.
Ian
Thank you all. It is a lovely building, and as attractive inside as it is outside.
Ian