Old Palace, York facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Old Palace |
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York Minster Library
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| Location | Dean's Park, York, England |
| Built | c. 1230 |
| Restored | 1810 |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Designated | 14 June 1954 |
| Reference no. | 1257880 |
The Old Palace is a very old and important building in the city of York, England. It's also known as the Minster Library and you can find it in Dean's Park. Today, this special building holds the huge library and historical records of York Minster, which is a famous cathedral. It also has a special department for looking after old collections and a studio where experts carefully repair ancient items. The name "Old Palace" is quite new and it reminds us that part of this building used to be the private chapel of the Archbishop of York way back in the 1200s.
History of the Old Palace
A Special Gift of Books
The story of the Minster Library began a long time ago, in 1628. The Archbishop of York, named Tobias Matthew, passed away. He had a huge collection of books, said to be the biggest private collection in England at the time. There were 600 books, valued at £300.
Archbishop Matthew did not leave his books to his sons or the church. Instead, he left them to his wife, Frances Matthew. Frances decided to give all these valuable books to York Minster. This amazing gift became the very first part of the Minster Library. People said her gift was so important that it "deserved to live as long as the church itself." Frances had been married for fifty years. She passed away the year after making this wonderful donation.
The Library Today
The Old Palace building was updated and improved in 1810. Soon after, it became the official home of the Minster Library. This library holds many special and important items. For example, it has cathedral records that go all the way back to the year 1150. It also has a copy of the 1631 Wicked Bible, which is famous for a printing mistake.
The Old Palace is a Grade I listed building. This means it is considered a very important historical building in England. A new part was added to the building in 1998 to make more space for the growing collection.
