About Barley Hall Haunted Hall
Make yourself at home as you learn about this stunning medieval townhouse in the centre of York.
Barley Hall was once home to the Priors of Nostell and a Lord Mayor of York. None of that history was known in the 1980s, when the building was hidden behind a then-modern façade. In fact, its medieval structure was only revealed when the building was threatened with demolition. That discovery opened the door to uncovering the history of Barley Hall.
Reconstructing Medieval York
After its discovery, York Archaeology, then known as York Archaeological Trust, purchased Barley Hall in January 1987. Years of painstaking work followed to restore the building to its former glory.
The oldest parts of Barley Hall seem to date to around 1360, when the Hall was built as a townhouse for Nostell Priory. Nostell Priory was a monastery near Wakefield in West Yorkshire, and the priors would use the townhouse whenever they came to York on business.
In around 1430, a new wing was added to the building and, soon after, it became home to William Snawsell. He was a well-known citizen of York who was a goldsmith, alderman and, eventually, Lord Mayor of York. The Hall you see today has been recreated to show how we think it may have looked around 1483.
Investigation
Once York Archaeology bought the house, they began a full archaeological investigation. Archaeologists worked through one metre of deposits, reaching the 14th-century levels and revealing the remains of the Great Hall floor.
Between 1990 and 1991, further investigations in the courtyard uncovered evidence of an exterior stairway leading up to the Great Chamber on the first floor. At the same time, work was well underway to restore the Hall, and it re-opened to the public in 1993.
The name Barley Hall honours Professor Maurice Barley, a former Chairman of York Archaeology.
The Hall Today
Barley Hall has now been restored so visitors can make themselves at home, sit in the chairs and handle the objects. You can experience what life might have been like in medieval England as you take in the stunning high ceilings, exposed timber frames, magnificent Great Hall and its horn window, possibly the only one in England.
So step back to 1483 and see how the Snawsell family lived and worked in York.