Stonegate has existed since Roman times and is now one of the most beautiful shopping streets in Great Britain. But there’s much more to it than Mulberry Hall and the Old Starre Inn.

Stonegate, York

Nobody’s sure where the name Stonegate comes from, although the most obvious reason is that it was paved with stone at a time when the surrounding streets weren’t.

This could have been a legacy of the Romans, for whom Stonegate was part of the via Praetoria leading from the River Ouse to their military headquarters, which were roughly where the Minster stands today.

Stonegate’s history
The name was recorded as early as 1118, and an early high point in Stonegate’s history came in 1486 when King Henry VII visited York. According to historians, in the celebrations surrounding the King’s visit, the Virgin Mary herself promised Henry “to sue to my son to send you his grace”. The founder of the Tudor dynasty must have been well pleased.

For some time Stonegate was home to York’s glaziers, who were kept in work during the construction of the Minster throughout the late medieval period. Their trade was hit by Henry VII’s son King Henry VIII when he decided to appropriate much of the Church’s riches for himself in what is known to history as the Dissolution of the Monasteries.

From glaziers to printers
While stained glass died out as a means for communication with the masses, printing went from strength to strength as the modern era began and in York the printers congregated on Stonegate – probably because of its position between the Guildhall and the Minster, the twin centres of commerce and religion that would have provided them with most of their work.

The small statue of a red devil that hangs above the doorway of number 33 Stonegate is a relic from this time: the red devil was the printers’ emblem.

Stonegate’s ghosts
Next door, at number 35, is reputedly the most haunted house in York. The house is more than 700 years old and spectres still reputedly stalk its rooms and stairways. Tours are conducted daily from 10am to 5.30pm (10am to 7.30pm on Fridays and Saturdays).

Further along Stonegate is one of the most famous sights of York: the sign for the Olde Starre Inn. It’s well worth stopping for a pint in this famous old York pub.

Also worth seeing is Barley Hall, a living replica of a 500-year old Great Hall. It’s in Coffee Yard, just off Stonegate and accessed via one of York’s many snickleways. Richard III MAY have stayed here, although there’s no historical evidence that he did.

Between numbers 50 and 52 Stonegate is another snickleway which leads to the remains of a Norman house dating back to 1180 – the oldest known residency still surviving in York today.

Continue your York tour
Go south to St Helen’s Square for the Mansion House and Guildhall
Go north to Petergate for York Minster and the Treasurer’s House