 St Helen's Square, looking south-west | |
 Location within York | |
| Maintained by | City of York |
|---|---|
| Location | York, England, UK |
| Coordinates | 53°57′37″N1°05′04″W / 53.96015°N 1.08448°W |
| North | |
| East | Davygate |
| South | Coney Street |
| West | Lendal |
| Construction | |
| Completion | 1745 |
St Helen's Square is an open space in the city centre of York, England.
During the Roman era, Eboracum's south-western gate, the porta praetoria, lay where the square is now. [1]
Until the mid-18th century much of the space was occupied by the graveyard of St Helen's, Stonegate. The streets of Stonegate and Davygate ran either side of the graveyard, meeting Coney Street at a junction known as Cuckold's Corner. In addition a footpath ran across the graveyard, linking Davygate with the junction of Stonegate and Blake Street. [2]
In 1745 St Helen's was given a plot of land on Davygate for use as a new graveyard and the old graveyard was paved over to form St Helen's Square. In the early 20th century the square was enlarged to the south-east, giving it a more regular, rectangular, shape. [2]
The York Tavern, built on the square in 1770, became one of two main departure points for stagecoaches to London. [3] [4] By 1818 Terry's had set up its shop on the square and it remained there, later also operating as a restaurant, until 1980. [5] [6]
In winter the square is now the location of a large Christmas tree and the city's Christmas lights are turned on in a ceremony held in the square. [7] [8] The square is also a popular location for demonstrations and rallies. [9] [10] 0
The square is an important junction, with Coney Street leading from its southern corner, Lendal from the west, both Blake Street and Stonegate from the north and Davygate from the east. [2]
The south-western side of the square is occupied by the Mansion House and there is also access to the York Guildhall, which can be seen through a gateway. On the north-western side Harkers was constructed for the Yorkshire Insurance Company, and the York County Savings Bank Building was also built in the mid-19th century for a local institution. Both are listed, as is the former Terry's building at 3 St Helen's Square. The 18th-century Number 7, on the north-eastern side, is also listed, with the remainder of this side occupied by St Helen's Church. Numbers 2-8, occupying the south-eastern side, were built in 1929 and are also listed. Part of the building is occupied by Bettys tea rooms. [2] [11]
York had around 45 parish churches in 1300. Twenty survive, in whole or in part, a number surpassed in England only by Norwich, and 12 are used for worship. This article consists of a list of medieval churches which still exist in whole or in part, and a list of medieval churches which are known to have existed in the past but have been completely demolished.
St Martin le Grand, York is a Grade II* listed parish church in the Church of England in York.
CityConnect WIFI is a Municipal wireless network brand name run by Pinacl Solutions currently in operation in the cities of York, England and Aberdeen, Scotland. The concept is to turn the entire connected area into a Wireless Access Zone, with the ultimate goal of making the internet a universal service. To cover large parts of both cities, a wireless mesh network has been deployed relying the wireless WiFi signal of hundreds of routers mounted commonly to poles, lamp-posts and buildings. Pinacl works closely with City of York Council and Aberdeen City Council and as such, Pinacl acts as a wireless internet service provider.
Stonegate is a street in the city centre of York, in England, one of the streets most visited by tourists. Most of the buildings along the street are listed, meaning they are of national importance due to their architecture or history.
St Sampson's Square is an open space, and former marketplace, in the city centre of York, England.
Davygate is a major shopping street in the city centre of York, in England.
Colliergate is a street in the city centre of York, in England.
Lendal is a street in the city centre of York, in England.
Mulberry Hall is a grade II* listed building on Stonegate, in the city centre of York, in England.
Coney Street is a major shopping street in the city centre of York, in England. The street runs north-west from the junction of Spurriergate and Market Street, to St Helen's Square. New Street leads off the north-east side of the street, as does a snickelway leading to the Judges Court hotel, while several snickelways lead from the south-west side down to the River Ouse, including Blanshard's Lane, and paths leading to City Screen.
Blake Street is a road in the city centre of York, in England.
Duncombe Place is a street in the city centre of York, in England.
St Sampson's Church is a former parish church in the city centre of York, England. It lies on Church Street, near St Sampson's Square.
Spurriergate is a short street in the city centre of York, in England.
Petergate is a street in the city centre of York, in England. It is divided into High Petergate and Low Petergate. The well-known view of the Minster from Low Petergate is described by the City of York Council as "excellent".
Gillygate is a street in York, in England, immediately north of the city centre.
New Street is a road in the city centre of York, in England.
Swinegate is a street in the city centre of York, in England.
Minster Gates is a north–south running street in the city centre of York, England, connecting Minster Yard and High Petergate. All of its buildings are listed, many dating to the 18th century, although the street is significantly older.
3 St Helen's Square is a historic building in the city centre of York, in England.
Media related to St Helen's Square, York at Wikimedia Commons