![]() Looking south towards the intersection of Shambles and Little Shambles streets, 2018 | |
![]() Location within York | |
Former name(s) |
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Length | 400 ft (120 m) |
Location | York, England |
Coordinates | 53°57′33.85″N1°4′48.40″W / 53.9594028°N 1.0801111°W |
North end | Newgate, York |
South end | Pavement, York |
The Shambles is a historic street in York, England, featuring preserved medieval buildings, some dating back as far as the 14th century. The street is narrow, with many timber-framed buildings with jettied floors that overhang the street by several feet. It was once known as The Great Flesh Shambles, probably from the Anglo-Saxon Fleshammels (literally flesh-shelves), the word for the shelves that butchers used to display their meat. In 1885, thirty-one butchers' shops were located along the street, [1] but none remain today.
"Shambles" is an obsolete term for an open-air slaughterhouse and meat market. Streets of that name were so called from having been the sites on which butchers killed and dressed animals for consumption (One source suggests that the term derives from "Shammel", an Anglo-Saxon word for shelves that stores used to display their wares, [2] while another indicates that by AD 971 "shamble" meant a 'bench for the sale of goods' and by 1305, a 'stall for the sale of meat'.). [3]
The area around the Shambles was known as Marketshire into the 14th century and included the streets of the Shambles and Pavement. The Shambles itself had several names: by 1240 it was referred to as Haymongergate, and it was called Nedlergate in 1394, both thought to be references to other trades and crafts which took place in the street. In addition to these names, by 1426 it had become more commonly known as The Great Flesh Shambles, which was eventually shortened to its current name. [4] [5]
There are streets named "The Shambles", or "Shambles Street", in other UK towns and cities, including Barnsley, Bradford on Avon, Chesterfield, Guildford, Swansea, Chippenham, Manchester, Sevenoaks, Whitby, Worcester and Armagh. There is also a Fishamble Street in Dublin, Ireland.
Although not named in the Domesday Book of 1086, it has been identified through an entry which lists two butchers' stalls near the church of St Crux (ii bancos in macello nr ecclesiam St Crucis) being in the ownership of the Count of Mortain. [4] [5]
The naming of the street after butcher stalls has stuck since the 14th century because the association of the street with butchers has been a large part of its history and character. This was because of a continuous tradition of butchers occupying the street that was upheld for centuries. This is probably in large part due to the favourable architecture of the street towards butcher practices of centuries past. The rears of the shops were slaughterhouses and the fact the buildings shade the narrow street from direct sunlight meant that the meat on display could stay fresh for longer. Also, when butchering took place, the guts, offal and blood were thrown into the street runnels that had a natural slope which helped it wash away after rain. These butchering practices long predated basic modern standards of hygiene and the street would have been incredibly unhygienic in these days. The last butcher shops on the street closed in the early 20th century and although the butchers have now vanished, a number of the shops on the street still have meat-hooks hanging outside and, below them, shelves on which meat was displayed. The shops include restaurants and shops as well as a bookshop and a bakery. [6]
In medieval times, many streets in York had a similar appearance to the Shambles, such as The Water Lanes. [5] The Shambles preserves a large amount of original medieval-built fabric, with many buildings dating from circa 1350–1475. [2] Along with this, the picturesque qualities of the narrow street with its timber-framed jettied houses have meant that, since as early as the 19th century, it has been recognised as a major attraction of the city of York. [6]
The 1940s and 1950s were a period when the Shambles was subject to a lot of change. After the Second World War, the street was targeted by city planners who wanted to make improvements to the buildings which by that time were in urgent need of restoration. York City Council purchased numerous properties from private owners and, during the 1950s, they extensively altered and rebuilt many buildings and demolished large sections of the area, including the entirety of Little Shambles, a short street that led west off the centre which was considered to be beyond repair. A chapel called Holy Trinity Christ Church was at the heart of King's Square until it was demolished in 1937. [7] Today, some of these restorations are seen as insensitive, since a great deal of historic fabric, including slaughterhouses and outbuildings at the rear of the properties, was demolished. The Yorkshire Architectural and York Archaeological Society's annual report of 1949 contains plans of The Shambles showing the buildings to be removed. [8]
There are five "snickelways" that lead off the Shambles because they used to be small alleyways in the backs of the buildings, but since these back buildings were demolished in the 1950s, they now open out onto a big open space with market stalls known as Shambles Market. The market was previously known as Newgate Market, after the street on which it is located, but was renamed in 2015. [6]
The Shambles is one of a number of locations, along with streets in Chepstow, Edinburgh, Exeter and London, for which claims have been made to have been the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Harry Potter franchise. [9] Since 2017, four wizard-themed shops have opened in the street; [10] however, the author, J. K. Rowling, has denied this, stating that she had never been to The Shambles. [11]
Almost all the buildings on the street are listed. On the east side, 1 Shambles is timber-framed and probably 14th century; 2 Shambles is early 18th century; and 3–5 Shambles are all 19th century, one initially serving as the former Shoulder of Mutton pub. 6 Shambles is late 18th century, with a 20th-century renovation and shopfront. 7–8 Shambles are late and early 15th century, respectively; and 9 Shambles is also 15th century. 10–11 Shambles originated as one 15th-century house; and 12 Shambles has some parts probably dating from the 14th century. 13 Shambles is early 16th century, while 14 Shambles was originally timber-framed but of unclear date. 19 Shambles was built in the early 16th century; 20 Shambles is mid-18th century; and 21–23 Shambles were each built in the early 18th century. At the end of the street is the parish room of St Crux. [5]
On the west side, 27–28 Shambles were built in the early 19th century; 30 Shambles is 18th-century but largely rebuilt in 1952; and 31–33 Shambles were built as a terrace in about 1436.
Among the structures of The Shambles is a shrine to Saint Margaret Clitherow, who was married to a butcher who owned and lived in a shop in the street. Her home is thought to have been number 10 Shambles, on the opposite side of the street to the shrine, at number 35, which has a priest hole fireplace. [12] [13] [14] These are also listed. [15] 37–38 Shambles are late-15th century; and 39 Shambles includes a 15th-century timber frame. 40 Shambles is early-18th century; 41–42 Shambles is 15th century; and 43 Shambles was built in 1775. 44 Shambles is 15th century; 45 Shambles is early-18th century; and 46–47 Shambles were built in about 1740. [5]
Weobley is an ancient settlement and civil parish in Herefordshire, England. Formerly a market town, the market is long defunct and the settlement is today promoted as one of the county's black and white villages owing to its abundance of old timber-framed buildings. Although it has the historical status of a town and is referred to as such in the sources, it nowadays refers to itself as a village.
Oberwesel is a town on the Middle Rhine in the Rhein-Hunsrück-Kreis (district) in Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. It belongs to the Verbandsgemeinde Hunsrück-Mittelrhein, whose seat is in Emmelshausen.
Fishamble Street is a street in Dublin, Ireland within the old city walls.
Shambles Square is a square in Manchester, England, created in 1999 around the rebuilt Old Wellington Inn and Sinclair's Oyster Bar next to The Mitre Hotel.
Guildhall Street is a street in central Cambridge, England. To the north is the southeast corner of Market Hill at the junction with the pedestrianised shopping street Petty Cury. To the south it continues as Guildhall Place, a cul-de-sac, at the junction with Wheeler Street, close to the northern end of Corn Exchange Street.
Norwich Market is an outdoor market consisting of around 200 stalls in central Norwich, England. Founded in the latter part of the 11th century to supply Norman merchants and settlers moving to the area following the Norman conquest of England, it replaced an earlier market a short distance away. It has been in operation on the present site for over 900 years.
The Market Hall, in Priory Street, Monmouth, Wales, is an early Victorian building by the prolific Monmouth architect George Vaughan Maddox. It was constructed in the years 1837–39 as the centrepiece of a redevelopment of part of Monmouth town centre. After being severely damaged by fire in 1963, it was partly rebuilt and is now the home of Monmouth Museum. At the rear of the building are original slaughterhouses, called The Shambles, opening onto the River Monnow. The building is Grade II listed as at 27 June 1952, and it is one of 24 buildings on the Monmouth Heritage Trail. The Shambles slaughterhouses are separately listed as Grade II*.
Micklegate is a street in the City of York, England. The name means "Great Street", "gate" coming from the Old Norse gata, or street.
Ber Street is a historic street in Norwich City Centre between Queens Road and King Street. It has served as one of the major routes into Norwich city centre since the 12th century. The street now exists as a fragmented row of historical buildings and post-war industrial buildings as a result of Second World War bomb damage and 1960s slum clearance.
The Pannier Market in Bideford in North Devon is a large covered Victorian pannier market together with the Butcher's Row of small artisan stalls running along the lower level of the Market. There has been a market on the site since 1675. Since 1989 it has been a Grade II listed building on the register of Historic England.
St Sampson's Square is an open space, and former marketplace, in the city centre of York, England.
Newgate is a 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".
The Shambles Market is a daily market held in the city centre of York, England. It was created in the 1950s after the clearance of a large area next to the Shambles, when large sections of the Shambles were demolished, including the entire street known as Little Shambles.
2 Jubbergate, also known as 4 Jubbergate, is a grade II* listed building in the city centre of York, in England.
7–8 The Shambles is an historic pair of buildings in York, England. Grade II* listed buildings dating to the early and late 15th century, they are located in The Shambles.
9 The Shambles is an historic building in York, England.
10–11 The Shambles is an historic pair of buildings in York, England. Grade II* listed buildings, they are located in The Shambles.
12 The Shambles is an historic building in York, England.
Little Shambles is a short historic street in the city centre of the city of York, England. The street dates back to medieval times and forms a small branch off street from the main street of The Shambles. The street was largely demolished in the 1950s and what remains now opens out onto a large, open space with market stalls known as Shambles Market.
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