352 - Another shot from yesterday. It's very unusual for me to go along Peasholme Green, where the Black Swan is found, and it is a fascinating old building.
It was originally built in 1417 as a family residence. For several generations it was home to the Bowes family. William Bowes became Lord Mayor of York in 1417 and again in 1428, whilst Sir Martin Bowes established himself as a goldsmith in the City of London during the reign of Henry VII in 1545 and later rose to the position of jeweller to Queen Elizabeth I.
It became a public house in the late 16th century and there were early and late 17th century extensions; renovation and further extensions were carried out in the 20th century.
Later occupants include William Briggs, who was landlord in the late 19th century, and Fred Wright, in the 1910s, who was there when the Layerthorpe Cycling Club used the pub as its headquarters. It was used as a Horse Refuge during World War II, an ideal place for it as the pub still had sizeable stables at the back. Landlord Edgar Henry was in the pub by 1959, and was quoted as claiming that a York brickmaker “sold his wife here, over a glass of ale, for 1s 6d” in 1884 – wife auctions being quite common in the 19th century!
The Black Swan also has a history that can only be guessed at. There is evidence of both a secret passage leading from here to St. Cuthbert’s Church across the road, and of a secret room, possibly used for cock fighting.
Some interesting ghosts have also been reported in the Black Swan. One is of a Chaplinesque figure that wears a bowler hat and wanders aimlessly through the rooms waiting for someone to arrive. After a while he usually disappears! Also a beautiful young ghostly woman wearing a long white dress has been seen staring distractedly into the fire, her face hidden by long black hair. The pub’s strangest ghost is a pair of male legs seen walking around the Landlord’s accommodation. His regular visitations have not been explained!
The inset shows a close-up of the black cat sculpture above the door. Cat sculptures on the sides and roofs of buildings are quite common in the centre of York, and there is a cat trail to follow for those interested. There are some interesting and improbable stories attached to some of them!
I think we went in here as part of a ghost tour a couple of years ago. Also, I think it may be opposite the building which houses the Quilter's Guild. A great shot of a wonderful historic building.
enjoyed reading everything about it. great picture of The Black Swan.
Thank you all - the light was pretty good for this shot, and I agree, it's history is fascinating.
Thank you Lizzy, and thank you for the fav!
Thank you William - there are cat sculptures on all kinds of buildings here, and at least two versions of the cat trail - one is at http://www.yorkluckycats.co.uk/york-cat-trail.html
Thank you Caren- there are at least two versions of the cat trail, one being at http://www.yorkluckycats.co.uk/york-cat-trail.html
Thank you all for your nice comments - there may be more shots from the cat trail soon.
Thank you Judith - you are quite right, it is on the ghost tour, and almost opposite the quilt museum
Thank you all for your comments. This is a nice example of a timber framed building and it does have a long and varied history.
Thank you Christine - the cats are in quite a few unusual places, and the cat trail has become quite popular.
Thank you Tony, and thank you for the fav. Thus building has a really long and varied history. Only room for the main outline here.
Thank you Janet - sometimes it's hard to separate history from legend!
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the shot and the history.
Thank you all for your kind comments. The history, the legends and the cats make quite an involved story here.
Thank you Molly - it is an interesting place, but not somewhere I pass very often
Thank you Nicole - the cat trail is quite a fun idea.