Fashion store set to move into historic city centre building

A new business is planning to move into St Helen’s Square – and for once it isn’t a restaurant.

Fashion brand Marchbrae has plans in with the council to open a shop in the former York Savings Bank building at the corner of the square.

As you might expect with that name, Marchbrae Clothing is a Scottish company. It specialises in country outdoor clothing and accessories – with Barbour and Joules among the brands it stocks.

Under the plans it will refit the interior of the building and put up new signs on the exterior on both the Blake Street and St Helen’s Square sides.

Historic building

Marchbrae dates its origins back to 1771 when Charles Angus Marchbrae opened a tailors in Edinburgh.

So it is fitting that the brand plans to open a store in an historic building.

The St Helen’s Square property is Grade II listed and dates from 1829. It was built for the York County Savings Bank and extended 1924.

More recently it was a branch of the TSB.

Square revamp

As part of the refit, Marchbrae would add new timber flooring and install new lighting – although they plan to keep the chandelier found inside.

In their design and access statement, Pocket Size Architecture state: “The internal fit out has been designed so that no existing original features will be affected by the proposed works (architraves/ decorative plaster and cornicing, wall paneling etc).”

It continues the redevelopment of St Helen’s Square. Carluccio’s opened a swish new restaurant in part of the same building in March.

And The Ivy plans to open its restaurant across the square next month.