Mansion House in York had been closed for the first 18 months we lived in York, and then it opened, serendipitously by the time of the York Residents’ Weekend. Having walked by it hundreds of times, I was thrilled to finally be able to see inside (especially for free!). The house had been closed since early 2015 so that there could be refurbishment and conservation work done. An interesting element of that is that they restored the house’s original kitchens, which I enjoyed exploring.
I also visited the Merchant Adventurer’s Hall that weekend, and you can read my post on it here.
Mansion House is where every Lord Mayor of York since the Middle Ages until today has dined, held balls, entertained, and housed civic collections. (It also predates the Mansion House in London by about 20 years.) Joseph Terry and John Rowntree (of Terry’s Chocolate Oranges and Rowntree’s sweets) both respectively served as mayors in their time. I’d like to imagine that their banquets both consisted of only sweets and chocolates.
There are over 800 years of mayoral bric a brac left behind by previous residents and some of it is hilariously odd and entertaining. For example, you can see the first silver chamber pot or a mummified cat. I know that there’s a tendency to think, “I’ve seen one fancy house, I’ve seen them all” but it really is a fascinating part of York’s history and there’s just enough quirkiness to it to keep you slightly on your toes.
I’d like to see some of the spaces utilised for more public city events and lectures now that it’s re-opened and the beautiful refurb has finished. Here’s to hoping!
As long time readers of Rhyme & Ribbons know, I can absolutely never resist a children’s dressing up box so keep your eyes peeled for me in some ceremonial Mayoral robes. I think I suit them. Maybe I should run for office. I should also have it be known that I’m a sucker for ceremony. I love weird and wacky pomp and circumstance, so a visit to the Mansion House was thoroughly in keeping with the things that I enjoy.
Apparently, they used to offer special candlelit spooky stories of the house, which I would have signed up for in a heartbeat. I hope they bring that back.
Mansion House is open Wednesday – Sunday and costs £6.50 for adults. It is located at St Helen’s Square
York YO1 9QL. If you’ve ever visited Bettys in York, you’ve probably walked by the Mansion House without realising it.
Did you know anything about the Mansion House?
If you’d like to read more about York, I have a whole York tab above! But for some specific posts that might interest you, I’d recommend the following posts I’ve written:
Merchant Adventurer’s Hall
The Best Independent Shops in York
The Yorkshire Museum
15 Things to Do in York
York Castle Museum
10 Best Coffee Shops and Cafes in York
The National Railway Museum
My Ultimate York Restaurant Guide
Clifford’s Tower
Roman City Walls
York Minster
York Art Gallery
