Mansion House
The contract to repair the Mansion House is due to be completed by 25th June.
The contract was awarded to local company William Birch in December and was valued at £1.1 million.
It was awarded when the previous contractor went into administration
It is unclear when the Mansion House will reopen to visitors and when the Lord Mayor will move in.
Mansion House Sept 2016
Dr Annie Gray, acclaimed food historian lecturer and author of culinary biography The Greedy Queen, to be released May 18th, will be stepping into York Mansion House’s Georgian kitchen to recreate some exciting historic recipes over a fire burning oven, spit and chafing stove.
The house is currently undergoing its biggest restoration since it was built. One of the exciting restoration projects is the Georgian kitchen which will help to illustrate three centuries of eating in the house and interpret and explore the lives of those who have worked there. This is a restored 18th century kitchen using original artefacts and architectural features, any modern recreations are made in the tradition manner, including bricks handmade from local clay.
Dr Annie Gray, food historian, author, lecturer and broadcaster, commented, ‘I’m really looking forward to cooking in the revamped York Mansion House kitchens. I’ve watched their metamorphosis back in time from an unloved 1960s basement, to the glories of the 18th century – one of the most exciting periods in British history. The technology of food has enormous potential to help tell the story of society though history, and the York Mansion House kitchens will showcase the way in which York’s mayor’s worked to make the city one of the social centres of Georgian Britain.’
Dr Annie Gray
Annie Gray will be the first person to undertake the task of cooking in York Mansion House’s Georgian kitchen after its restoration. She will be demonstrating how to cook beef alamode and woodcocks in a traditional 18th century manner as a way to explore the social history of the house.
Richard Pollitt, York Mansion House Curator said, ‘We are delighted Annie Gray will be coming to York Mansion House and we are looking forward to seeing the restored kitchen in full use as she recreates the recipes this kitchen was built to cook. I couldn’t think of anyone more suited to inaugurate York Mansion House’s Georgian kitchen’.
The Opening Doors Restoration project for York Mansion House was made possible by a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, funding from City of York Council and a variety of grants and generous donations totalling £2.1 million. The project improves the visitor experience by beautifully restoring this gem of York’s architectural history, allowing more people than ever to enjoy it.
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Mansion House Sept 2016
William Birch & Sons Ltd, York-based construction, refurbishment and restoration contractor, have been appointed to continue work on the York Mansion House’s historic restoration project.
External works have been taking place over the autumn including repairing the chimney stacks and removing old paint from the external stonework.
William Birch & Sons Ltd will be the company completing remaining internal works in the Mansion House and moving the Opening Doors project on. The business started life in York, building and restoring many of the city’s high profile properties that we all know today, including the York Minster Library, Fairfax House, Kings Manor, York Theatre Royal and the York Explore Library.
The family owned construction company have a historic connection with the Mansion House with both William Henry Birch (1921) and Jack Birch (1975) holding the position of Lord Mayor of York.
Last year the Mansion House received a grant of £1,198,700 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), as well as fundin g from City of York Council and donations to the restoration fund so the historic building can be restored. The ‘Opening Doors’ project, is the biggest investment in the Mansion House since it was built in the eighteenth century.
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Mansion House – proposed appearance.
Work has recommenced at the Mansion House, to make sure that key external elements of the restoration works will be completed before the onset of winter.
These include:
Since 1750 the house has been painted 47 times. In August 2016 the public voted on the colour of the facade which will be a brick colour and stone with a coloured crest. The design is that of the Mansion House from the 1890’s.
Councillor Keith Aspden, Deputy Leader of City of York Council said: “We are very pleased that the external works are now continuing. These works are essential to the project and have given us an interesting glimpse into the buildings past.
“The Mansion House is an important historic building in the city and we are committed to delivering this project.”
The Mansion House is undergoing renovation in its biggest investment since building was completed in 1732. The works were made possible after the Mansion House received a grant of £1,198,700 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), as well as funding from City of York Council and donations to the restoration fund. It is anticipated that the Mansion House will fully re-open to the public next year.
The restoration works stalled three months ago when the building contractor William Anelay went into administration
Mansion House Autumn 2016
Mansion House Spring 2016
Following two weeks of consultation and hundreds of responses the residents of York have decided which colour the facade of York’s historic Mansion House will be.
The Mansion House paint scheme will remain pretty much unchanged!
Since it was built in 1732 the facade of York’s historic Mansion House has seen many changes and colours. Taking inspiration from the past residents were presented with three options after paint historians analysed and identified three themes from the building’s past.
Of the near 400 people that responded to the two week consultation 70 per cent expressed a preference for option three, a brick colour with a polychrome crest (image attached). Feedback on the proposals suggested this option “looks elegant and complements the building” and was “vibrant and handsome”. 20 per cent said they preferred option two with 10 per cent stating option one as their preference.
The design is thought to have been that of the Mansion House from the 1890’s with an original paint scheme of red brick work and painted stone colour, with a polychrome crest.
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Mansion House York
The news comes after York based contractors William Anelay were awarded the contract to restore the Georgian townhouse and allow visitors to enjoy more of the building than ever before.
Scaffolding will appear outside the facade of the historic building whilst the works take place. The works were made possible after the Mansion House received a grant of £1,198,700 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), as well as funding from City of York Council and donations to the restoration fund.
The four main areas of the ‘Opening Doors’ restoration project are:
York based contractors, William Anelay, have been appointed to work on York Mansion House’s historic restoration project.
Work will begin in the New Year to restore the building, including improvements to facilities which will allow visitors to enjoy more of the building than ever before.
The appointment comes after the Mansion House received a grant of £1,198,700 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), as well as funding from City of York Council and donations to the restoration fund so the historic building can be restored. Thanks to the National Lottery players the project – ‘Opening Doors’ – will be the biggest investment in the Mansion House since it was built in the eighteenth century.
The four main areas of the ‘Opening Doors’ restoration project are:
• Restoring the original kitchens to create a fully working eighteenth century kitchen and a modern kitchen allowing the house to continue hosting culinary events and functions.
• Improving displays, conservation and access to the civic collection of gold and silverware
• Developing an integrated environmental and conservation plan for the structure, including installing an effective conservation heating system to minimise long-term damage to the contents and fabric of the building and reduce its carbon foot print.
• Preparing an oral history project, involving people past and present with a connection to the building.
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Sigismund Sword
From this week until 31 January 2016 the world famous Tower of London will play host to a special exhibition from the Royal Armouries to mark the 600th anniversaryof the battle of Agincourt with the Sigusmund Sword from York playing a starring role.
The exhibition brings together, for the first time, rare and iconic objects from the collections of the Royal Armouries and elsewhere to retell the moving story of this deadly encounter; from the road to battle, to the events of 25 October 1415 and the aftermath, which in turn will explore the popular myths, reality and legacy of this extraordinary battle.
York’s Mansion House has offered the exhibition use of the sword as work starts at the historic townhouse to restore the building and ensure a better visitor experience and ensure visitors can see more of the building and its Civic collection than ever before.
The restoration comes following a grant of £1,198,700 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) as well as funding from the council and donations to the restoration fund.
The City of York ceremonial sword and scabbard on display at the exhibition dates from circa 1416. On Sigismund’s death in 1437 the sword became the property of the dean and canons of St George’s and was acquired by one of the canons who may have presented the sword to the City of York on 5 May 1439 and it has been used as a civic sword since that date.
Today the sword is used on ceremonial occasions such freedom of the city, Mayor Making and Full council. The sword was also used for the recent State visit in 2012 which saw the Monarch presented with the Sigismund sword before they enter the city.
The exhibition’s curator and medieval specialist, Dr Malcolm Mercer said, “We are delighted to include the City of York ceremonial sword and scabbard in this exhibition. No original weapons from the battlefield are known to survive, but records tell us that this sword is part of a fascinating legacy of the powerful royal alliances formed in the aftermath of this remarkable battle.”
For more information on the Agincourt 600 exhibition please visit www.agincourt600.com/event/royal-armouries-exhibition-tower-of-london/
Mansion House
Residents and visitors will be able to see the Mansion House like never before when the building hosts an open weekend on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September.
As part of works to restore the building the Georgian townhouse will open its doors offering a once in a lifetime opportunity to see the Mansion House stripped of its furniture. Architects and guides will be on hand to answer any questions visitors may have on the building and the restoration as they move freely around the building.
The evening of Saturday 27 September will also see the building host the Vespertine Event as part of the Food and Drink Festival. Music, performances and art will be the order of the day as guests tour the building as part of the Mansion House Masquerade.
After this the Mansion House will see its biggest investment since it was built in 1732, thanks to a grant of £1,198,700 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), as well as funding from City of York Council and donations to the restoration fund.
The funding, announced in March 2015, will allow the Mansion House to be open to residents and visitors for longer and enable them to see more of the building, and its civic collection, than ever before. Once the restoration work is completed the Mansion House will be open to the public all day, five days a week as opposed to the three days a week it is open currently.
The support also looks to give the historic building a more financially secure future, and enable more people to get involved in learning at the Georgian townhouse and make it easier for more people to visit.
The Mansion House will be open from 11am–3pm Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 November. For more information visit http://www.mansionhouseyork.com/. For information on the Vespertine event visit http://www.vespertineyork.com/vesp04/.
