College Green is an open space in the city centre of

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

, England.

History

The green lies within the historic precinct of

York Minster York Minster, formally the Cathedral and Metropolitical Church of Saint Peter in York, is an Anglicanism, Anglican cathedral in the city of York, North Yorkshire, England. The minster is the seat of the archbishop of York, the second-highest of ...

. As "Vicars' Lane", it was in existence by the late Mediaeval period, named as it led from

towards the College of Vicars Choral on

Bedern Bedern is a street in the city centre of York, in England, which originated as a college for the vicars choral of York Minster. History The Bedern College was founded in 1252, to house 36 vicars choral associated with York Minster. The name "B ...

. In the 18th-century, it was known as "Little Alice Lane", after someone who lived in the area, then from about 1800 it became known as College Street, for

St William's College St William's College is a Mediaeval building in York, England, originally built to provide accommodation for priests attached to chantry chapels at nearby York Minster. It is a Grade I listed building. The college was founded in 1460 by George ...

. The church of St Mary ad Valvas lay on the south-west side of the street until 1362, when it was demolished in order to build the

Lady Chapel A Lady chapel or lady chapel is a traditional British English, British term for a chapel dedicated to Mary, mother of Jesus, particularly those inside a cathedral or other large church (building), church. The chapels are also known as a Mary chape ...

of York Minster. In 1749, the

Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion The Countess of Huntingdon's Connexion is a small society of evangelical churches, founded in 1783 by Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon, as a result of the Evangelical Revival. For many years it was strongly associated with the Calvinist ...

built a chapel south-east of the college. By the end of the century, it was used by the Calvinistic Baptists. South of the Minster, the south-west side was built up with houses. Two were demolished in 1862, and College Green was created. The remainder were demolished between 1905 and 1937 in order to enlarge College Green. In 1955 the road was realigned a little further south-west and the green was enlarged, while a

sundial A sundial is a horology, horological device that tells the time of day (referred to as civil time in modern usage) when direct sunlight shines by the position of the Sun, apparent position of the Sun in the sky. In the narrowest sense of the ...

originally from Drakelow Hall was erected on the green. The green is regularly used as a location for the

York Mystery Plays The York Mystery Plays, or the York Corpus Christi Plays, are a Middle English play cycle, cycle of 48 mystery plays or pageants covering sacred history from the Genesis creation myth, creation to the Last Judgment. They were traditionally pres ...

, and it has also been used as outdoor seating for local hospitality businesses.

Layout and architecture

College Street runs south-east from

Minster Yard Minster Yard is a street in the city centre of York, England. It runs along the southern, eastern and northeastern sides of York Minster, for which it is named. History The street may have originated as the courtyard of the headquarters buildi ...

, near its junction with Chapter House Street, to a junction with

Goodramgate Goodramgate is a street in the city centre of York, in England. History The area now covered by Goodramgate lay within the walls of Roman Eboracum. The street runs diagonally across the line of former Roman buildings, from the Porta Decumana ...

and

Deangate Deangate is a street in the city centre of York, England, connecting College Street (York), College Street and Goodramgate with Minster Yard. It was created in 1903. The street runs east from the middle of Minster Yard to the junction of Goo ...

. College Green runs along its south-west side. The Queen's Path runs from the south-west side of the street around the south-east side of the Minster. Notable buildings on the north-east side of the street include 2 College Street, with parts dating back to the 13th-century;

, a Grade I listed building dating from 1465; 8, 9 and 10 College Street, built around 1830; and the early-14th century 30 and 32 Goodramgate and 11 and 12 College Street, which incorporates part of a former gateway into the Minster precinct.

References

{{Streets of York Squares in York