Merchant Adventurers' Hall Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Merchant Adventurers' Hall
Medieval timber frame of the great hall interior
General information
Type	Medieval Guildhall
Location	York, England
Coordinates	53°57′28″N 1°04′44″W / 53.9579°N 1.0788°W / 53.9579; -1.0788
Construction started	1357
Owner	The Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York

Listed Building – Grade I
Official name	Merchant Adventurers Hall
Designated	14 June 1954
Reference no.	1257828

Listed Building – Grade II*
Official name	Gatehouse to Merchant Adventurers Hall
Designated	14 June 1954
Reference no.	1257822

The Merchant Adventurers' Hall is a very old building in York, England. It was built a long time ago, in the Middle Ages. This special building was a "guildhall." A guildhall was a meeting place for groups of people who worked in the same trade, like merchants. Today, it is a protected building because of its history and unique design.

The Hall's History
Gallery
See also

The Hall's History

The medieval Merchant Adventurers' Hall seen from Piccadilly. You can see the brick chapel on the right and the wooden upper part on the left.

How the Hall Began

Most of the Merchant Adventurers' Hall was built in 1357. It was created by a group of important men and women. They formed a religious group called the Guild of Our Lord Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In 1371, a hospital was set up in the lower part of the building, called the undercroft. This hospital helped poor people in York. Later, in 1430, King Henry VI gave the group a special royal paper. This paper changed their name to 'The Mistry of Mercers'.

Even later, in 1581, Queen Elizabeth I gave them another special paper. This time, they became 'The Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York'. The main parts of this amazing building are the Great Hall, the chapel, and the undercroft.

Inside the Hall

The Great Hall is built with a special method called timber-framing. This means it uses a strong wooden frame. It took five years to build this part of the hall. It is the largest timber-framed building in the UK that is still standing and used for its original purpose.

The roof of the Great Hall has two sections. Large wooden posts in the middle hold it up. These posts have special wooden parts called crown posts. The whole structure is held together with wooden pegs, not nails!

The undercroft is the lower part of the building. Like the Great Hall, it is divided into two parts by wooden posts. The undercroft also leads to a chapel. This chapel was built for the sick and poor people in the hospital. It was also used by the members of the Merchant Adventurers' Guild. People still use the chapel for worship today.

The Company Today

The Hall still belongs to and is used by The Company of Merchant Adventurers of the City of York. Even though they don't focus on trading goods anymore, they are still important in York. They now work as a group that helps others and does charity work.

The Company has many old records. Some documents are from the 1200s, and their money records go back to 1432. You can find copies of many of these old papers at the Borthwick Institute for Archives at the University of York.

In 1918, a historian named Maud Sellers became the honorary archivist for the Company's historical items. She was very interested in the Hall. She helped to fix it up and study its history from 1895.

Art in the Hall

The Hall also has some interesting artworks. There is a painting by Jan Griffier called "Dutch snow scene with skaters." Another painting by Joseph Farington shows the Old Ouse Bridge in York. You can also see a portrait by William Etty of his brother, John Etty.

The Merchant Taylors' Hall in York is another old guildhall. It is a short walk from the Merchant Adventurers' Hall. However, it is not in as original a condition as the Merchant Adventurers' Hall.