 1-9 St Leonard's Place | |
 Location within York | |
| Location | York, United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 53°57′44″N1°05′08″W / 53.9622°N 1.0855°W Coordinates: 53°57′44″N1°05′08″W / 53.9622°N 1.0855°W |
| North end | |
| Major junctions | Exhibition Square |
| South end | |
| Construction | |
| Completion | 1835 |
St Leonard's Place is a street in the city centre of York, in England.
The site street lay mostly within the walls of Roman Eboracum, and two Anglo-Saxon carved stones and a large coin hoard have been discovered in excavations in the area. The location formed part of St Leonard's Hospital in the Mediaeval period, which from 1546 until 1698 was a royal mint, leading to the area becoming known as "Mint Yard". In 1675, Mint Yard was bought by the Corporation of York, for £543. [1]
The construction of the street was proposed in 1831, with the intention that it would be built up with "genteel private residences". The street runs across the line of the York city walls, a section of which were demolished, along with the barbican of Bootham Bar. Although there were plans to entirely demolish Bootham Bar, this did not occur. The street opened in 1835, and construction of the houses was completed in 1842. [1] [2]
In 1844 workmen digging a drain discovered a hoard of c.10,000 Northumbrian stycas, many of which were subsequently sold privately. However a portion of the hoard is now part of the collection at the Yorkshire Museum. [3] [4]
The expense of constructing the street left the York Corporation in debt. This included paving the street with Macadam, and providing a new facade for the York Theatre Royal, which had previously faced Little Blake Street, but from 1835 had its main entrance on St Leonard's Place. The street became a popular area for entertainment, with the York Subscription Library opening in 1836, the Yorkshire Club operating for a time at 5 St Leonard's Place, and the De Grey Rooms, used for concerts and meetings, opening in 1842. The new York and North Midland Railway opened its head office on the street. Initial residents included the Recorder of York, C. H. Elsby; the town clerk, Robert Davies; and the architect John Harper. [1] [2]
In 1933, the 99-year leases on many houses on the street expired, and the Corporation of York then turned the street's main terrace into council offices. [2] It left the terrace in 2013, after which it was converted back into housing. [5] The street forms part of York's inner ring road, and although the council have investigated pedestrianising it, this would require provision of an alternative route, including a new bridge across the River Ouse. [6]
The street runs north, from the junction of Blake Street, Duncombe Place and Museum Street, gently curving to Exhibition Square, where it meets High Petergate and Bootham. [2]
Much of the western side of the street is taken up by the terrace of 1-9 St Leonard's Place, designed by John Harper and completed in 1834. There is also a small garden with a stretch of the Roman city wall, before the street opens up into Exhibition Square. On the eastern side lie De Grey House, completed in 1835, and for many years from 1909 the York Conservative Club; the De Grey Rooms; and the York Theatre Royal. [2]
Bootham is a street in the city of York, in England, leading north out of the city centre. It is also the name of the small district surrounding the street.
York has, since Roman times, been defended by walls of one form or another. To this day, substantial portions of the walls remain, and York has more miles of intact wall than any other city in England. They are known variously as York City Walls, the Bar Walls and the Roman walls. The walls are generally 13 feet (4m) high and 6 feet (1.8m) wide.
The Sydney Mint in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, is the oldest surviving public building in the Sydney central business district. Built between 1811 and 1816 as the southern wing of the Sydney Hospital, it was then known as the Rum Hospital. In 1854 a mint was established on the site with the hospital building used to house mint staff as well as providing a residence for the Deputy Mint Master. A coining factory was built at the rear. Both of these structures have exceptional heritage significance and have been associated with major events in the colonial history of New South Wales.
The Cuerdale Hoard is a hoard of more than 8,600 items, including silver coins, English and Carolingian jewellery, hacksilver and ingots. It was discovered on 15 May 1840 on the southern bank of a bend of the River Ribble, in an area called Cuerdale near Preston, Lancashire, England. The Cuerdale Hoard is one of the largest Viking silver hoards ever found, four times larger than its nearest rival in Britain or Ireland, according to Richard Hall. In weight and number of pieces, it is second only to the Spillings Hoard found on Gotland, Sweden.
The York Museum Gardens are botanic gardens in the centre of York, England, beside the River Ouse. They cover an area of 10 acres (4.0 ha) of the former grounds of St Mary's Abbey, and were created in the 1830s by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society along with the Yorkshire Museum which they contain.
The history of the English penny can be traced back to the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of the 7th century: to the small, thick silver coins known to contemporaries as pæningas or denarii, though now often referred to as sceattas by numismatists. Broader, thinner pennies inscribed with the name of the king were introduced to Southern England in the middle of the 8th century. Coins of this format remained the foundation of the English currency until the 14th century.
The Yorkshire Museum is a museum in York, England. It was opened in 1830, and has five permanent collections, covering biology, geology, archaeology, numismatics and astronomy.
Peter Atkinson (1735–1805) was an English architect.
The styca was a small coin minted in pre-Viking Northumbria, originally in base silver and subsequently in a copper alloy. Production began in the 790s and continued until the 850s, though the coin remained in circulation until the Viking conquest of Northumbria in 867.
Elizabeth Jean Elphinstone Pirie was a British numismatist specialising in ninth-century Northumbrian coinage, and museum curator, latterly as Keeper of Archaeology at Leeds City Museum from 1960–91. She wrote eight books and dozens of articles throughout her career. She was a fellow of the Royal Numismatic Society, president of the Yorkshire Numismatic Society and a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.
Lendal is a street in the city centre of York, in England.
Blake Street is a road in the city centre of York, in England.
Museum Street is a road in the city centre of York, in England.
Exhibition Square is an open space in the city centre of York, England.
Gillygate is a street in York, in England, immediately north of the city centre.
Lawrence Street is a road in York, in England, immediately south-east of the city centre.
The St Leonard's Place hoard was a hoard of c. 10,000 early medieval Northumbrian coins known as stycas, discovered by workers during construction work at St Leonard's Place in York in 1842. Many of the coins were subsequently acquired by the Yorkshire Museum.
The De Grey Rooms is a building in the city of York, England. It was built in 1841-1842 and is a grade II* listed building.
The Blake Street hoard is a Romano-British coin hoard.