St William’s College closes as York Minster considers the building’s conservation, renovation and sustainability

York Minster today announced that St William’s College, the beautiful and much-loved Grade 1-listed medieval white timber framed building on the eastern side of the Minster Precinct has closed as a wedding and conference venue ahead of an extensive programme of repair, conservation and refurbishment.

Once described as ‘the most prestigious timber framed building in York’, St William’s College is a landmark building within the York Minster Precinct.  Dating back to 1465, it is one of the oldest structures in the city and its Grade 1-listed status places it amongst the top 2.5 per cent of the most important listed buildings in the country. 

St William’s is now in need of essential repairs including the roof and fabric of the building.  The programme of work will also include developing a robust strategy for the building’s conservation, refurbishment, sustainability and long-term economic viability.

Commenting on the future of St William’s College, the Dean of York Minster, the Very Reverend Vivienne Faull, said:

“St William’s will be closed for a considerable period whilst we work to renovate and revitalise the building and its facilities.  Work is already underway to assess the condition of the structure, to preserve and document historic features and to assess the quality and viability of some of the alterations and amendments that have taken place over the life of the building.

“An exciting challenge for those involved in this project will be how to breathe new life into this wonderful old building in a way that is sympathetic to its 550 years of history.  We will need to ensure that St Will’s is compliant with modern building regulations including improving accessibility for people with disabilities.  We will also explore some of the smart and innovative design solutions for utilising the space inside the building more effectively and more creatively.

“We are in no doubt about the challenges facing St William’s but we are committed to working with our partners in the city to develop a detailed plan that will ensure that this special building can continue to serve the needs of the Church and the wider community of York long into the future.”

Ends

For more information and photographs please contact:

Sharon Atkinson, Director of Communications - e: sharona@yorkminster.org t: 01904 557248 or Stacey Healey, Marketing Executive -e: staceyh@yorkminster.org t: 01904 559545

Notes for Editors  

1. Originally built as a college for chantry priests serving the altars in the Minster, the abolition of chantries in the 1540s resulted in the building being sold into private ownership for more than 350 years. Numerous alterations occurred in that time and by the 19th century the building had been carved up into more than a dozen separate dwellings and had lost much of its medieval character. 
2. A key turning point in the fortunes of the building was the decision by celebrated York resident, Frank Green, who described himself as “a Yorkshire sub-lieutenant of history with artistic and antiquarian tastes” to buy St William’s in 1899.  He sold the building on to the York Diocesan Trust in 1902 which was then looking for a suitable building to hold the assembly of the clergy of the Province of York known as the Convocation of the Northern Province.  Green’s decision to engage Temple Moore, one of the major church architects of the early 20th century to manage the restoration of St William’s was the next stroke of luck for the building as together, they developed a more sympathetic approach to its conservation.
3.  Ownership and management of the building remained static until 1973 when the Charity Commissioners approved a scheme in which the ownership and governance of St William’s passed to a Trust with the Dean and Chapter of York Minster being the sole trustee
4. In line with the provisions of the 1973 scheme, St William’s has primarily been used as a venue for meetings of the Convocation of York, for diocesan meetings, for the promotion of religious and other charitable work in York and, since 1987, has been the location for the Minster’s Centre for School Visits.  St William’s has also been a popular choice in the city as a venue for weddings and conferences.

Source: “St William’s College, York, Conservation Management Plan/December 2010” – Alan Baxter