Lendal is a street 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 ...

, in England.

History

The street was first mentioned in the 1380s, when it was known as Aldeconyngstrete (Old

Coney Street Coney Street is a major shopping street in the city centre of York, in England. The street runs north-west from the junction of Spurriergate and Market Street, to St Helen's Square. New Street leads off the north-east side of the street, as ...

). However, by 1641, it had become known as "Lendal", a contraction of "St Leonard's Hill". This "hill" was the quay on the River Ouse belonging to

St Leonard's Hospital St Leonard's Hospital may refer to: * St Leonard's Hospital, Ferndown, a community hospital in Dorset * St Leonard's Hospital, Hackney, a former hospital in London, built in 1913 * St Leonard's Hospital, Tickhill, a former monastic building in S ...

, which lay at the north-western end of the street. Most of the south-western side of the street was occupied by the Augustinian Friary, which was dissolved in 1538. St Wilfrid's Church lay on the north-east side until it was demolished later in the 16th century. In about 1710, the city's main

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letter (message), letters and parcel (package), parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post o ...

was built on the south-west side, while the large Judges' Lodgings house was built on the north-east side by Clifton Wintringham about 1720. For 24 years, a statue of

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

outside a tobacconist's shop on Lendal was a local landmark. York Post Office remained on the street until 2019, when it moved to Coney Street. Banks, located on Lendal, is the oldest music shop in Britain, having been founded in 1756.

Layout and architecture

The street runs north-west from

St Helen's Square St Helen's Square is an open space in the city centre of York, England. History During the Roman era, Eboracum's south-western gate, the ''porta praetoria'', lay where the square is now. Until the mid-18th century much of the space was occup ...

Museum Street Museum Street is a street in the Bloomsbury area of the London Borough of Camden, England. To the north is the British Museum, hence its current name. The street is populated by cafes and bookshops to appeal to the international museum-going ...

. South of St Helen's Square, it continues as Coney Street. Museum Street was formerly known as Back Lendal, and both

Lendal Tower Lendal Tower is a medieval tower that formed part of the city defences of York, England. It is located on the east bank of the River Ouse at the point where the river enters the walled city from the north-west. The building was used as a wate ...

on the

York city walls York has, since Roman Britain, Roman times, been defended by defensive wall, walls of one form or another. To this day, substantial portions of the walls remain, and York has more miles of intact wall than any other city in England. They are k ...

, and

Lendal Bridge There are nine bridges across the River Ouse and eighteen smaller bridges and passages across the narrower River Foss within the city of York, England. Bridges over the Ouse The earliest bridge, built by the Romans, linked Stonegate (the '' ...

lie on Museum Street, near where Lendal meets it. Judges' Lodgings lies on the north-east side of the street, while other listed buildings include the 19th-century Lendal House, and the terrace 13-23 Lendal, built in 1766. On the south-west side, 2 Lendal was built as a Congregational Chapel, built in 1816 by Pritchett and Watson. 8 Lendal was built in the 17th-century as Lendal House, although it was refronted in the 19th century. 4A and 4B, behind it, are its former boat house and stable, and incorporate a surviving part of the friary wall. The terrace at 10, 12 and 14 Lendal was built in 1714, while the former post office, and Lendal Cellars, down an alleyway, are all listed.

References

{{Streets of York Streets in York