Standing in Exhibition Square, there is much more to see which tells the story of the City of York. This map (from the Victoria County History of Yorkshire, York City) shows the extent of the site of St Mary's Abbey. From St Mary's Tower adjacent to Bootham to the Postern is where the Art Gallery and Exhibition Square now are. The City Walls of York are the dark line on the map, but St Mary's Abbey had its own precinct wall, much now removed, but some still standing. How many people going through the archway on the old Abbey Wall see this tiny little plaque? it says - This Gateway was broken through the Abbey Wall July 1503 to honour the Princess Margaret daughter of Henry VII who was guest of the Lord Abbot of St Mary's for two days on her journey North as the Bride of James IV of Scotland. Margaret Tudor [1489 - 1541] would have had no say in the bargaining of her marriage. It was part of an attempt to secure some peace on the border between Scotland and England. She was twelve years old in January 1502 when she was married by proxy to the King of Scotland, James IV [1473 - 1513]. She then remained with her parents, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, for another year. Her mother died in childbirth in February 1503, and four months after that, persumably as soon as roads were passable, Margaret set off on her journey north, which took a month. At every town there would be feasts and the local nobility to meet her, which is why when she came to York the Abbot of St Mary's gave her hospitality for two days, and made a gateway in the Abbey Wall. I am not sure why. If you are interested in Margaret, there are two books worth reading - Sisters to the King by Maria Perry So High a Blood by Morgan Ring. This second book is about Margaret's daughter the Countess of Lennox, but does tell Margaret's story as well. She was fortunate that King James IV died and then she was free to remarry, making her own choice. Bootham Bar is on the site of a gate into the Roman fortress of Eboracum. So I imagine messengers and troops coming and going from here to the northern outposts of Cataractonium [Catterick], or perhaps the lesser known Virosidum [Bainbridge] deep in the Yorkshire dales. The shape of the walls around York follow the line of the Roman fortress, but the existing wall is medieval. The gates through the wall are called Bars, and all had barbicans, i.e. extending walls out from the gate to protect them from attack. The barbican at Bootham was taken down in 1832, probably to facilitate traffic. Public outcry prevented the whole thing being demolished. Bootham Bar still has a portcullis which you can see if you go up the steps. The large white building is called The De Grey Rooms. It is named after this gentleman - Thomas Philip Robinson [1781 - 1859]. He changed his name - twice - first from Robinson to Weddell, and then to de Grey. He had the title 3rd Baron Grantham. This portrait of him was painted by Francis Grant [1803 - 1878] and is in York Art Gallery, which faces the De Grey Rooms. Thomas Philip Robinson / Weddell / de Grey was the Commander in Chief of the Yorkshire Hussars, and the De Grey Rooms were built in 1841 - 1842 as their Officers' Mess, designed by George Townsend Andrews. The Yorkshire Hussars were a volunteer corps. The De Grey Rooms are very elegant and can be hired for functions. It is unfortunate that they are located between two sets of traffic lights and opposite a row of bus stops, there is always standing traffic queuing for the lights and buses with their engines running. But the clock outside is useful. Right opposite the De Grey Rooms is a rather insignificant bit of crumbly wall, that you could easily overlook, and most do as they stand with their backs to it in the bus queue, but it is one of the very rare pieces of physical evidence of the Roman Fortress in York. This rather beautiful building is called The King's Manor, and was originally the Abbot's Lodging in St Mary's Abbey. The Benedictine Abbey was founded in 1089 and dissolved in 1539, the site was retained by the Crown. St Mary's Abbey was one of the largest, wealthiest and most influential monastic houses in the North and had off shoots of smaller monastic cells in different places, one being St Martin's in Richmond. Whoever was the Abbot was a very powerful man, and living cheek by jowl with the Archbishop of York did not always end in a happy relationship. On top of that medieval York was a rich and influential city and the Mayor and Aldermen also clashed with the Abbot from time to time. Who could levy tolls on people coming and going along Bootham to buy and sell goods was a frequent point of conflict. The last Abbot was William Thornton of Dent. For the next one hundred years the Abbot's lodging became the King's Manor and was used by the Crown as the headquarters of the Council of the North. This was an arm of government that controlled a large part of the North of England and whoever was President of the Council of the North was a very powerful man. Thomas Wentworth, Earl of Strafford, was the last President of the Council until he lost his head in 1641. This picture from a is a steel engraving made by J Rogers circa 1829 of a painting by Nathaniel Whittock who painted from 1828 - 1858. I think the sheep may be artistic imagination. The doorway has the insignia of King James VI of Scotland I of England, (whose grandmother had passed this way as a child bride). They were recarved and repainted in 1972. The King's Manor was remodelled, modified and added to over the years after the dissolution of the Abbey,and had many different uses. In 1835 it was acquired by the Yorkshire School for the Blind and they stayed there until 1956. One of the things this school did was train their pupils in workshops to make things, and they even had shops in which to sell their goods. I have a vague memory of occasional sales in our village school of such objects, baskets and rattan chairs. This picture is by Henry Cave [1779 - 1836] of the King's Manor, he was a topographical artist who lived in York and published a series of picturesque etchings of buildings in York. He taught drawing at various schools in York including a boarding school for ladies that was in part of this building. The King's Manor is now used as part of the University of York. I would love to have a look inside. At the moment only authorised persons are allowed in.
This look around Exhibition Square brings me full circle (or square) back to the Art Gallery. The wheels on the bus go round and round / Round and round / Round and round [as anyone who has nursery age chldren knows only too well] but while they are going round I can keep company with Roman soldiers, medieval monks and Abbots, a Tudor princess journeying hundreds of miles to an arranged marriage, the civil servants who administered justice in the North of England, the Officers of the Hussars, not forgetting William Etty and his nudes!
1 Comment
|
AuthorThis is where you can share creativity with me. I believe that everyone has something creative within them, and it is a joy to find ways of being creative. Blogging is NEW to me, so here goes ..... Archives
January 2024
Categories |