Summary
Built in Early English style in the 1230s as the private chapel for the archbishop’s palace, contemporary with the earliest above ground portions of the cathedral. Carefully restored by William Shout in 1806-1813 to house York Minster’s library: a sensitive restoration pre-dating the C19 Gothic Revival.
Reasons for Designation
The Old Palace, York is listed at Grade I for the following principal reasons:
Architectural interest:
* as a well-preserved example of Early English architecture, with documentary evidence dating it to the 1230s;
* for William Shout’s restoration works of 1806-1813; an early and well-documented example of an archaeological approach to restoration.
Historic interest:
* as the most substantial surviving part of the medieval archbishop’s palace in York, built for Archbishop Walter De Gray who also started the rebuilding of York Minster with the construction of the north and south transepts, now the earliest above-ground parts of the cathedral, contemporary with the chapel;
* for its long association with York Minster’s library and archive collection, which includes several medieval manuscripts.
Group value:
* particularly with York Minster and with the late C12 arcade to the south-west; an earlier fragment of the Archbishop’s Palace.
History
The older sections of the building, now known as the Old Palace, form the principal surviving element of the palace used by the medieval Archbishops of York. Documented from 1132, extensively rebuilt by Roger Pont L’Eveque (archbishop 1154-1181) and then expanded by Walter de Gray (archbishop 1215-1255) the palace was a large complex of buildings to the north of the minster but was just one of several residences that the archbishop would move between over the course of a year. The south-eastern range of the Old Palace was built as a private chapel, probably for archbishop Walter de Gray with Henry III granting 13 oaks in 1231-1234 for a new chapel. De Gray is thought to have been the last to undertake significant new building work on the palace at York (as opposed to various refurbishments prompted by later royal visits) and is also thought to have built private apartments attached to the chapel via the two-storey vestibule wing. He also initiated the construction of York Minster’s transepts from 1220, the earliest substantial sections of the current cathedral that stand above ground, the north transept (which shares some notable detailing with the chapel) only being completed after his death in 1255.
The structural form of the chapel is very similar to that of the infirmary chapel at Fountains Abbey thought to have been built for John of Kent (abbot 1220-1247), quite possibly by the same master mason. The chapel was on the first floor, set above a ground-floor hall, and was perhaps modelled on the double chapels then typical of bishop’s palaces in Italy: these being buildings with one chapel set above a second, often with an aperture between the two spaces providing a ‘glimpse of heaven’ from the ground floor. The ground floor chapel/hall at York was probably used for audiences with the archbishop for people who lacked the status to be received in the great hall or the archbishop’s more private rooms. The orientation of the chapel, so that its ecclesiastical east end faces north-east, is aligned closely with the Roman fortress and the city wall, matching the orientation of most of the medieval churches in York with the marked exception of York Minster which is orientated directly east-west.
After the Reformation, the use of the palace in York declined, with archbishops favouring the palaces at Bishopthorpe and Cawood. By the early C17 much of the York palace was ruinous and it was let to a London merchant Sir Arthur Ingram who converted the gatehouse range to the west into a mansion. The chapel and its vestibule wing appear to have been retained for use as barns and stabling. By 1803, ownership had passed to the Dean and Chapter and in 1806-1813 the building was restored by William Shout, the minster’s master mason, supervising a team of 18 masons who are named in Shout’s daybook. Shout’s detailed drawings and other records for this restoration survive and when combined with C18 illustrations (including that by Moses Griffiths 1777, John Buckler and two by William Halfpenny, all around 1790) show that his work was archaeological in its approach, carefully copying the original detailing. Shout, who was also responsible for the restoration of the Minster’s west front, reconstructed the south-west gable end to the chapel (which C18 illustrations indicate had been previously rebuilt with a hipped roof), as well as replacing its first-floor deck and roof. With the contemporary vestibule wing, he rebuilt its south-west wall (which illustrations also suggest had been previously been rebuilt), modelled on its surviving medieval north-eastern wall. The restoration included the replacement of carved capitals and other mouldings closely modelled on the originals, as well as the construction of new features such as the staircase and fireplace within the vestibule wing. The stained glass to the new chapel window, by Jacob Wright of Leeds, is dated 1812 and is also documented, but shows some divergence from the planned design. The building then became the home to the cathedral’s extensive library and archive collection, including many medieval manuscripts. Although documentation for the installation of the bookcases and the upper floor gallery has not been identified, these are also thought to be mainly early C19. Subsequently the south-eastern corner of the chapel was attached to a gothic-styled cloister arcade linking to the New Deanery completed in 1830, this being completely removed just over a century later, replaced by the smaller Georgian-styled Deanery that lies to the east of the chapel.
York Minster’s library continued to grow and in the C20 became the largest cathedral library collection in the country. In 1960 the vestibule wing was extended northwards with the Hailstone Wing, replacing a strong room built as an extension in 1957. Two further small extensions were added in 1971 and by 1983, infilling the angle between the vestibule and the chapel. In the mid-1990s the Hailstone Wing was replaced by the Alcuin Wing, designed by Cathedral Architect Charles Brown, which was completed in 1998 and named for the C8 cleric and scholar from York who became an adviser to the Frankish emperor, Charlemagne. The extensions added in the C20 are not included in the listing.
Details
Chapel and vestibule, built 1230s for the palace of archbishop Walter de Gray, renovated 1806-1813 by William Shout to rehouse the Minster’s library collection. Early English style. Various extensions added since 1960 are not included in the listing.
MATERIALS: Magnesian limestone ashlar with slate roofs. Windows with decorative leading and some stained glass.
PLAN: the vestibule, entered from the south-west, consists of an entrance stair hall with a first-floor lobby that leads through to the upper floor of the chapel. The ground floor of the chapel (and the later extensions that are not included in the listing) are also accessed from the vestibule, although the ground floor of the chapel also has a pair of large double doors to its south-west gable.
EXTERIOR:
CHAPEL: this is of two storeys. The building has angle buttresses, a chamfered and moulded plinth, a first-floor moulded string course that also encloses the buttresses and a further string course at eaves level with a plain parapet above. All of the buttresses are finished with steeply-pitched gablets.
South-west gable: this elevation was designed by Shout, rebuilt from 1806. To the ground floor it has double doors that are nail studded and panelled, set within a two-centred arch of three orders: the inner order lacks colonettes, the middle order is embellished with a dogtooth band, dogtoothing also embellishing the capitals of the colonettes. The first-floor window above is similarly detailed and is of five stepped lancets, the lancets separated by the middle order colonettes, all enclosed by the outer order formed as a moulded semi-circular arch.
South-east: this elevation is largely as depicted in C18 illustrations before the restoration by Shout. It is of four unequal bays divided by buttresses that are slightly shorter but otherwise detailed like the angle buttresses. The first-floor windows are similarly detailed to that of the south-west gable: the middle two bays have stepped triple lancets set beneath semi-circular arches; the western bay has a pair of lancets, the eastern bay has a blocked single lancet, the windows to these outer bays being set within moulded two-centred arches. The western window is offset to the east within its bay, to its west is now blank ashlar walling but an illustration by Halfpenny shows a first-floor doorway in this position prior to restoration. Only the western two bays have ground floor windows, these being centrally-set four-light cross-mullioned windows with Caernarfon lintels (giving the windows flattened, trefoiled heads). The other two bays are shown by Halfpenny as having similar windows, but these bays are now blind, the left one retaining a scar line of a single-pitched roof of a removed single-storey building.
North-east gable: this has two ground floor windows like those to the side elevation except that to the right (north west) being of three tall lights rather than cross-mullioned. The first-floor window above is of five lancets similar to that of the opposite gable, but the window is blocked. This elevation corresponds with the late C18 depictions by Griffith and Halfpenny.
North-west: similarly detailed to the south-east side and as depicted by Griffith and Halfpenny, with two triple-lancet windows and one single lancet to the first floor which are all blocked, the ground floor windows now opening into the later extension.
VESTIBULE: this extends at right angles to the chapel and is also of two storeys, but with a lower upper storey so that its ridgeline is slightly below the eaves of the chapel.
South-west: this was reconstructed by Shout. It has a chamfered plinth and a parapet marked with a moulded string course. It is of three bays with paired trefoil-headed lights to the first-floor, the lights divided with single colonettes and set beneath semi-circular hood moulds which continue as impost-level string courses, the sills also being linked with a string course. To the ground floor there are plainer, tall single lights with shouldered heads. All of the lights are in simple splayed openings. The entrance is between the southern two windows. It is a single doorway in a hollow-chamfered, shouldered opening, the door being planked and nail-studded, lit with a lantern hung from a decorative bracket set above the door.
North-east: this elevation corresponds to that depicted in late C18 illustrations by Griffith and Halfpenny, although the ground floor is now encased by a later extension. It has three first-floor windows detailed like those of the opposite wall reconstructed by Shout. To the ground floor (now internal) there are two shouldered window openings, one now converted into a doorway.
INTERIOR:
CHAPEL (LOWER FLOOR): this has a central row of octagonal stone columns, the mouldings to the bases and capitals are sharply defined and are considered to be restorations by Shout. The deep window reveals incorporate stone seats. Extensive bookcases may conceal further features.
CHAPEL (UPPER FLOOR): this is fitted with early C19 bookcases, including an upper gallery, which fill the north-west wall and the whole north-eastern-most bay (explaining the blocked windows externally). These bookcases, along with the lower cases along the south-east wall, potentially conceal a piscina, ambry and sedilia that are shown built into the walling in an illustration by Halfpenny drawn around 1790. The exposed windows are framed with moulded stonework with colonettes and hood moulds, the capitals and bosses being ornamented with stiff-leaf carving, all this appearing consistent with that drawn by Halfpenny. The vaulted roof is known to post-date 1790 and is attributed to Shout: it has ribs that spring from similarly ornamented corbels. The fireplace with its two-centred arch is also considered to be by Shout. The south-west window has stained glass dated 1812 depicting coats of arms of people associated with the minster.
VESTIBULE: this includes a stone staircase with half landing and timber balustrading. The upstairs lobby has an unusual fireplace formed with a projecting carved stone hood supported by corbels in the form of gablets, all perhaps modelled loosely on the pinnacles flanking the minster’s south transept. These features are all attributed to Shout. The wall between the lobby and chapel, with its doorway and blind arcade with stiff leaf and dogtooth ornament, is considered to be medieval in origin and was drawn and restored by Shout. The bookcases opposite the fireplace may conceal further medieval detail, including the two blocked medieval windows that can be seen externally.
