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King's Staith
King's Staith is a street in the city centre of York, in England.
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23 m
Cumberland House, York
Cumberland House is a Grade I listed building in the city centre of York, in England.
The house lies on King's Staith, overlooking the River Ouse. While the basement is accessed from King's Staith, because the street frequently floods, the house's main entrance is on Cumberland Street. It was built in about 1710 by William Cornwell, an industrialist who subsequently became Lord Mayor of York. The house itself acquired its name in the 1740s, with the Prince William, Duke of Cumberland, supposedly having stayed there on 23 July 1746, following his victory at the Battle of Culloden.
The house formed the water front end of the entrance to a medieval street known as Middle Water Lane, until that street was demolished in a slum clearance program in the mid 19th century. The street was rebuilt and renamed as Cumberland Street in the late 19th century.
The house is built of brick, although the basement and some features are of magnesian limestone. It is of two main storeys, with an attic and basement, and has five bays facing King's Staith. Inside, the two main reception rooms and staircase preserve their original features, and there are original fireplaces upstairs, but the service wing of the house, to the east, was remodelled in the 20th-century. The house was restored from 1950 onwards.
48 m
York Dungeon
York Dungeon is a tourist attraction in York, England. York Dungeon depicts history of the dungeon using actor led shows, special effects and displays of models and objects.
The York Dungeons reopened in March 2013 after a period of closure due to severe flooding.
51 m
Kings Arms, York
The Kings Arms is a pub lying by the River Ouse in the city centre of York, in England.
The building lies across King's Staith from the River Ouse, on its corner with King Street. The building is the only surviving building to form part of First Water Lane, a mediaeval street that was demolished in a slum clearance programme in 1852 and was rebuilt as King Street. A road sign on the building reads; "King Street (formerly Kergate)", as a tribute to the original mediaeval name of First Water Lane.
It was built in the early-17th century, with the upper floor and north and east walls timber framed. The south and west walls are particularly thick, to provide some protection against flooding, and constructed of brick and stone, some of which is reused from Mediaeval buildings. The building originally had no fireplaces or internal walls, and so is believed to have been constructed as a warehouse or custom house from trade coming up the river.
The building was recorded as the "Kings Arms" pub by 1795, but in 1867 it was renamed as the "Ouse Bridge Inn", for the nearby Ouse Bridge. By 1898, it was owned by the Samuel Smith Old Brewery. They renovated it with new doors and windows, and the rear wing by King Street appears to have been completely rebuilt, the north and east walls rebuilt in brick. In 1973, the pub was again renovated, and the "Kings Arms" name was reinstated. In 1983, the pub was Grade II listed.
The pub floods, on average, four times a year, and does not hold flood insurance. Historically, it would remain open for regulars even when flooded, but this is no longer permitted, as the river water may be contaminated. In 1982, the brewery put a new flood protocol in place. A flood gate is put across the front door, and customers are served in the back bar. Once the flood waters reach the back door, the pub is closed, and all the fixtures and fittings can be dismantled and stored upstairs. The beer and electrics are all upstairs and so are not damaged even by floodwaters 4.5 metres above usual river levels. A chart on the wall marks historic flood heights, the highest being 2000, when floodwater nearly reached the ceiling of the bar.
The pub sign depicts Richard III of England. A legend claims that the bodies of executed criminals were laid out in the building, before being hanged from Ouse Bridge.
57 m
The Water Lanes
The Water Lanes were three medieval streets in the city of York in the north of England. They led from Castlegate road down to the waterfront of the River Ouse. The Lanes were similar in appearance to the Shambles with the jettied buildings hanging over the street. In the 19th century, they were known as the First Lane, Middle Lane and Far Water Lane, although in medieval times they had been known as Kergate, Thrush Lane and Hertergate. They were demolished in 1852.