York Hall facts for kids
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| Address | London, England |
|---|---|
| Location | Bethnal Green |
| Public transit |  Bethnal Green |
| Owner | Tower Hamlets Council |
| Operator | Tower Hamlets Council |
| Capacity | 1,250 |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1929 |
| Renovated | 2005 |
The York Hall is a cool building in Bethnal Green, London. It is also known as the York Hall Leisure Centre. It's a place where lots of different things happen. It has an indoor arena and a leisure centre. The building first opened its doors in 1929.
York Hall is super famous for hosting international boxing matches. Professional boxing started here in the late 1940s. Many British boxers started their careers here. Besides boxing, the main hall also has concerts and other live shows. There's also a local gym and a swimming pool inside.
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History of York Hall
The building was designed by an architect named A.E. Darby. The Duke and Duchess of York officially opened it in 1929. Boxing events began to be held here in the late 1940s.
In the basement, there used to be old-fashioned Turkish Baths. These were special steam rooms, like those from Victorian times. They were some of the last public ones in East London. These baths had traditional Russian and Turkish steam rooms, a sauna, and a relaxation lounge.
In 2004, the baths faced possible closure. However, a big renovation project saved them. The local Tower Hamlets council and Greenwich Leisure worked together. In July 2007, the facility reopened as an upscale Spa London day spa.
New treatment rooms were added for beauty treatments. Other new features included a hammam, a large sauna, and two 'aroma' steam rooms. There were also several hot rooms, a bucket shower, an ice fountain, and a plunge pool.
The renovation also included a modern gymnasium. This new gym was twice the size of the old one. The reception area and pool were also updated. New changing rooms were built. The gym now has a functional area with TRX and Technogym equipment.
Boxing and Combat Sports Events
York Hall is often called the "spiritual home" of British boxing. The first professional boxing nights happened here in the late 1940s. Since then, hundreds of British boxers have had their first fights at this venue.
Famous Boxers at York Hall
Some famous boxers who fought here include Nigel Benn, Joe Calzaghe, Chris Eubank, and Carl Froch. Other big names are Tyson Fury, David Haye, Anthony Joshua, Lennox Lewis, and Michael Watson.
York Hall's Special Atmosphere
York Hall is a cozy boxing venue. It shows the sport's working-class roots. Mark Turley, a boxing writer for the BBC, once said that York Hall offers a unique experience. He explained that you can watch boxing there in a raw and immediate way, just like people did many years ago.
Other Combat Sports Events
The press conference for the first boxing match between KSI and Logan Paul took place at York Hall in July 2018. On September 29, 2019, Adam Saleh had a boxing match there against Marcus Stephenson. FouseyTube vs Slim Albaher was also a big fight that night.
The hall also hosted the UFC London open workouts in March 2019. Fighters like Darren Till and Dominick Reyes were there. York Hall has also been home to many Revolution Pro Wrestling events.
How to Get to York Hall
York Hall is easy to reach by public transport. You can take the London Underground to Bethnal Green. The London Overground also stops nearby at Cambridge Heath.
Many local London Buses routes also go past York Hall. These include routes 8, 106, 254, 309, 388, D3, and D6. There are also night bus routes N8 and N253.
