Our fair city is immersed in rich history, which continues to attract millions of tourists each and every year. While York’s historical ‘pulling power’ is well known across the globe, it’s relatively rare for the residents themselves to get inside access behind the scenes; this year, Your Local Link is excited to announce that York Unlocked 2025 will be lifting the lid on the heritage of our city, providing in-depth and unprecedented access to some of York’s most-loved historic venues and attractions. Let’s take a closer look at the full programme for York Unlocked 2025…
Bishopthorpe Road & York South
The thriving Bishopthorpe Road and York South area is home to an abundance of heritage gems, with the following venues featuring in York Unlocked this year: The art gallery Kentmere House Gallery, repurposed from an Arts and Crafts home first built in 1898; Rowntree Park, the popular Green Flag award-winning parksituated next to the Ouse; Terry’s Factory Clock Tower, one of the Bishopthorpe Road area’s most recognisable landmarks; The Bonding Warehouse, Patch, previously used for merchant storage, then as a music venue, now an award-winning co-working space; and The Old Liquor Store, a bar and eatery converted from the original transformer house at Terry’s –check out our review of the restauranthere!
Bootham, Clifton & Museum Gardens
As York Unlocked moves further into the city, visitors and residents can enjoy unprecedented access to venues such as: Bootham School, which encompasses a unique mix of Georgian, Edwardian, Victorian, and Modernist architecture; Museum Gardens Lodge, a George Fowler Jones-designed lodge built for the Yorkshire Philosophical Society; St Olave’s Church and Churchyard, where visitors can see the grave of William Etty and marvel at carvings by Charles Gurrey; The Blue House Bookshop, now a children’s bookshop which was rebuilt after being damaged during the Siege of York; The Churches of York Walking Tour, a 2-hour walking tour covering a range of religious buildings across the city; The Hospitium, a 14th-century gem located in the Museum Gardens; the York Art Gallery Fine Art Store, home to 900 oil paintings that you won’t see displayed in the gallery itself; and York Explore Library and Archives, an iconic public library built in 1927, a sterling example of the Arts and Crafts style.
Castlegate & Walmgate
Historic venues worth a look in the Castlegate and Walmgate areas this year include : All Saints, Pavement, home to a beautiful Charles Kempe-designed stained glass window and the Afghanistan Memorial Window; the iconic 1760s townhouse and modern-day Masonic Lodge Castlegate House; Picadilly’s much-loved Fishergate Postern Tower, where visitors can spot 81 mason marks; Herbert House, the birthplace of Sir Thomas Herbert, first built in 1545; SPARK: York CIC, a bustling modern community space erected from shipping containers; and St Denys Church, one of the two surviving medieval churches located on Walmgate.
City Centre
In the heart of the city, York Unlocked will be opening the doors of a range of venues, such as: the Assembly Rooms (now ASK Italian), a Georgian-era social staple that was the first neoclassical building to be erected outside of Italy; the world-famous tearoom and iconic Yorkshire attraction Bettys; a sneak-peak at the Coney Street Riverside Development, which is set to connect Coney Street and the Ouse; Goodramgate’s iconic medieval church Holy Trinity, Goodramgate; PICA Studios, a former printworks that now operates as a crucial local artists’ space; St Helen’s Church, which still features a 14th-century stained glass window; St Martin-le-Grand, which was restored in the 1960s after being bombed in WWII; The Guildhall, where visitors can access the usually-restricted Committee Room and Main Hall; Stonegate’s York Medical Society, which features a beautiful urban garden; and the York Oratory, (St Wilfrid’s) and Garden, the site of a medieval church that was unveiled in its current form in 1864.
East
In the east of the city, York Unlocked revellers can check out locations including: 22 St Saviourgate, a grand home erected around 1740; the iconic 1700s dining hall Bedern Hall; the James Simpson-designed Central Methodist Church, which features a Spanish mahogany pulpit; the historic guildhall Merchant Taylors’ Hall, home to the Blue Hall and Great Hall; the tallest fortress gate in York, Monk Bar; the lesser-known RAFA club Royal Air Forces Association Branch and Club; the stunning sensory garden St Anthony’s Garden, home to an array of fragrant plants; the 15th-century wonder St Anthony’s Hall; St Saviourgate Masonic Hall, one of the oldest Masonic lodges in the city; Thin Ice Press, which still prints books and cards using time-honoured printing techniques; and York Unitarian Chapel, the city’s oldest noncornformist place of worship.
Haxby Road
Moving out towards Haxy Road, York Unlocked will zoom in on attractions including: Joseph Rowntree Memorial Library, a picturesque Arts and Crafts-style library first opened in 1925; the Art Deco theatre Joseph Rowntree Theatre, where visitors can access backstage areas and learn theatrical tricks of the trade; Nestlé Product Technology Centre, home to a York Design Award-winning 2011 extension; The Cocoa Works, the site of an iconic garden factory built in 1897, now home to modern apartments; and the relatively new William Sutton Pavilion, the starting point for Cocoa Works tours.
Holgate
York Unlocked 2025 will also cover three popular locations in the Holgate area, which sits around 1 mile west of Micklegate Bar: the restored tower mill Holgate Windmill, which was first built in 1770; The Fox, a beautifully restored watering hole that’s home to the largest beer garden in York; and West Bank Park, a much-loved green space that recently achieved Green Flag award-winning status!
Micklegate and Railway
There’s plenty to see and do around York Station and Micklegate Bar for this year’s York Unlocked, such as: the much-loved National Railway Museum, Station Hall, where visitors can meet with the NRM Conservation team; NRM Art Stores and Archives, which houses an impressive archive featuring photographs, drawings, diaries and more; the NRM Conservation Studio, which operates as an active conservation workshop; NRM Cab Access, which offers unprecedented access to two locomotive driver’s cabs; the NRM Signalling School, where visitors can learn about old-school train signalling processes; St Columbia’s a reformed church dating from 1879 (it’s home to ‘Mildred’, a famous Lewis Organ); The Milner Hotel, a grand hotel that’s now home to Peachey’s Bar and Grill (read our review here); and the iconic York Railway Institute, first established in 1889 as a social and educational hub.
York Unlocked 2025 will run from 27-28 September. Visit www.york-unlocked.org.uk to find out more, and book free tickets for selected venues. Check out our article at www.yourlocallink.co.uk/minster-heritage-fair-york-unlocked/ for further information about York Unlocked and the recent York Minster Heritage Fair!
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