Two of York’s ancient gateways are now up for rent.
The rooms in both Monk Bar and Micklegate Bar are available to lease, making them among the most quirky business opportunities on the market.
However, there is one catch…
York’s city walls and bars officially belong to City of York Council. It leases both Monk and Micklegate Bars to York Archaeological Trust.
The trust used to run two small attractions in the bars, alongside its bigger venues like Jorvik.
The Richard III Experience at Monk Bar took over from the Richard III Museum, run for many years at the gateway by Mike Bennett.
The trust then created the Henry VII Experience at Micklegate Bar. Both opened in 2014.
After closing due to Covid in 2020, both experiences failed to reopen. The Henry VII Experience was replaced by the City Walls Experience which opened in April 2022.
That closed at the end of 2024.
The trust is looking for tenants for the remainder of its lease term.
Monk Bar is the largest and most ornate of the bars. It dates from the early 14th century. It has 1,713 sq ft of retailing space over three floors. The annual rent is £6,000.
Considered the most important of York’s gateways, Micklegate Bar dates from the 12th century, with the top two storeys from the 14th.
It has 986.67 sq ft of retail space, again over three floors, with a rent of £4,000 a year.
They are both on the market with Barry Crux – Micklegate Bar here and Monk Bar here.
The details for both say the space “would lend itself well to either some sort of retail use, particularly for arts and crafts”.
But here’s the catch: “Other uses may be possible, although catering would be difficult due to the lack of water supply.”
If that isn’t a problem, you could soon be opening a shop in one of York’s most venerable monuments.