Merchant Adventurer's Hall, York

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What a fantastic name, The Merchant Adventurers' Hall. it certainly forms all sorts of pictures in your head, In the Middle ages great cities were controlled by the guild companys and York being a large river port had more than 50 merchant and craft guilds controlling the trade and thus the lifes of all the peoples withing the city. Of all these Guilds one of the most powerful was the Merchant Adventurers' whos controlled the trade in Cloth. Their hall was built between 1357 and 1361. The guild also helped out the poor people of the city and under the hall in it's undercroft there was a hospital for the poor.

This fantastic hall is still owned and used by the York Company of Merchant Adventurers who built it over 650 years ago

Adult - £5.00
Concessions(60+/Students) - £4.00
Children(16 and under) - FREE

April - September
Monday - Thursday 9.00am - 5.00pm
Friday - Saturday 9.00am - 3.30pm
Sunday 12.00 - 4.00pm

October - March
Monday - Saturday 9.00am - 3.30pm
Sunday Closed

An audio tour in English which comes free with admission plus written guides in foreign languages are also available

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The Merchants Hall was needed as York was deemed to be the second most favourable location (after London) for trade and, in mediaeval times, that was with northern Europe, often via the Hanseatic League. York had its own Hanse and, with wool the driving force, the Flemish manufacturers of the finished product were encouraged to set up shop here.
It is, as Drake said, "a fine and spacious building" that "stands where the Ouse and Foss unite".
The third picture here is interesting. It is a plaque set outside in the small garden that indicates the trade routes that were used at the time and the date of the building (1357) though it has undergone changes since that time as you can clearly see in the other pics.
The timbered Great Hall was where merchants conducted their business and held their courts and social events. The Undercroft or hospital is where they cared for the poor. It's quite an interesting building and the floor is very wonky, pretty much all at an angle
The inscription over the door translates as "God grant us good fortune".

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Merchant Adventurers' Hall was one of my favourite buildings in York. It's the largest timber framed building in the city, and unlike most of the remaining timbered framed buildings, it's not black and white but a lovely darkish yellow and black.

This medieval guild hall was built in the 14th century and didn't change much since then. Merchants conducted their affairs in the timbered Great Hall and in the Undercroft people took care for the poor. You can see illustrated panels about guilds and trade, furniture, paintings, silver, weights and measures.

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The Ancient Guild Hall of the Merchant Adventurers of York is a fantastic medieval hall that is worth a visit. The great thing is that it is free to walk through! It was built between 1357 and 1361 when Sir William Percy granted the site of the Hall to three York merchants. They and others started the Guild of Our Lord Jesus Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary, a charitable and religious society. Major social events were held in the hall including feats, weddings and funerals. 2 decades later the Guild Guild founded a hospital (or almshouse) for poor people located in the Undercroft, which lasted until the Victorian times.

These early members were known as mercers - merchants who traded in fine cloth. In 1430 King Henry VI incorporated the Guild as the Mistery (or craft) of Mercers of York. The Guild became a decidedly business enterprise and they became the wealthiest of York's trade and craft guilds. They used the port of Hull to conduct trade with the Low Countries and Baltic. In 1581 Queen Elizabeth I granted the company (now called the Society of Merchant Adventurers) a lucrative charter giving them a monopoly of goods imported to York, except for salt and fish.

A Merchant Adventurer was someone who risked or adventured their own money in overseas trade. This is reflected in the composition of the Company's Coat of Arms. The wings and wavy lines represent travel over water and the motto Dieu Nous Donne Bonne Adventure (or Aventure) means 'May God Prosper Our Affairs'.

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This large house, standing back from the road, was indeed worthy of a Merchant Adventurer.
Entrance into the grounds is free, but to enter the house costs £6 for adults,£5 for concession , but children under 16 go free. Unfortunately I did not have time to go inside but just the exterior was impressive.

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The Merchant Adventurer's Hall was an attraction I really enjoyed, and I recommend it to everyone with an interest in the Middle Ages!

The grade I listed building was constructed in 1357, therefore it is more than 650 years old!!! When I heard about this building, my first question was what a Merchant Adventurer was, as I had never heard this term before. The Merchant Adventurers were a guild of merchants who did "adventures", engaging in overseas trading and risking their money on expeditions and audacious actions. They were founded in 1357 as a fraternity and became a guild in 1581. They became a very influential group of citizens in York, and many of them were very wealthy. Their aim was to have a centre in the city where they could meet and worship, but also to do charity work and business. In fact, the guild still exists today.
The building is therefore still actively used as a meeting centre, but it can also be hired for functions and moreover, it is a wonderful museum. When I entered, I just loved the big medieval hall, the walls just whispered and breathed history! Apart from this hall, there is a chapel and an undercroft, and also several smaller rooms that were used for meetings and business. The undercroft was used as an almshouses and carried out its work until the year 1900. There are many items exhibited, such as furniture, silver, seals and other items connected to overseas travel and business. I highly recommend the audio tour to understand what all this was about and what the different rooms were used for.

My last picture shows a statue in the chapel.

Admission fee: Adults £6,00, concession £5,00, children free
Opening times: Easter to October 09.00am to 05.00pm monday to thursday, to 03.30pm friday and saturday, 11.00am to 04.00pm sunday. October to March 09.00 to 04.00 monday to thursday, to 03.30pm friday to saturday, closed sunday

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Constructed during the mid-14th century, this Guildhall is the finest building of its type. For centuries, it was where local courts met, business was transacted, and social events took place. Now, it's a museum. Inside are displays of local history, arts, crafts, and much more. But it is still available for weddings, receptions, business meetings, and other special events.

I like the sound of "Merchant Adventurer's Hall." It sounds so much interesting than just plain "Merchant's Hall."

In the Middle Ages, it was thought that anyone who dared to invest money in overseas trade was at best a little bit crazy. And hence an adventurer. I have the feeling that York's Merchant Adventurers were admired by some, but most people here probably thought they were loonies.

This is an excellent example of medieval domestic architecture: Simon Jenkins suggests that it is the best preserved collection of medieval guild buildings in Europe!

Most of the hall dates from the Tudor period - certainly the view from Fossgate is very evocative of the era of Henry VIII! But the interior contains rooms that are even older, including a grand central hall that is from the 1300s.

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On alighting from the Bus I looked straight to the beautiful Merchant Adventurers' Hall. I thought, if this is York, then it is going to be pretty good!

I didn't know it then, but it is the largest timber-framed building in the UK still standing and used for its original purpose.

Once again, it is another medieval building with a lot of history!

Most of the Merchant Adventurers' Hall was built in 1357, as medieval guildhall. A group of people from York, formed a religious fraternity called the Guild of Our Lord Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary.
In 1430 the fraternity was granted a royal charter by King Henry VI and renamed 'The Mistry of Mercers', then in the 16th century, Queen Elizabeth 1 granted it the status of the "Company of Merchant Adventurers of York."
The main part of the building consists of the Great Hall and the undercroft, which was originally a hospital or almshouse for poor people of York.
The attached Chapel is still used today!

Nicely restored, with very nice garden's, the lucky people of York can hold their wedding reception's here.

It is a museum
ADMISSION IS....Adult - £6.00 Concessions(60+/Students) - £5.00 Children(16 and under) - FREE
An audio tour in English which comes free with admission plus written guides in foreign languages are also available.
ENTRY from Fossgate entrance.

OPEN...March - November....... Monday - Thursday 9.00am - 5.00pm
Friday - Saturday 9.00am - 3.30pm.......Sunday 11.00 - 4.00pm

November - March....... Monday - Thursday 9.00am - 4.00pm
Friday - Saturday 9.00am-3.30pm........Sunday Closed