Police seal off historic York building amid signs of violence

Police have sealed off an historic building in York today (Sunday).

The entrance to King’s Manor on Exhibition Square is cordoned off by tape, and no one is being allowed in.

A police Crime Scenes Investigation police van is parked close to the entrance.

King’s Manor is now run by the University of York. One of the students who attends lectures there wanted to take his parents on a tour, but was turned away by police.

He was shocked to see “what appeared to be blood all across the door and surrounding ground”.

We have asked North Yorkshire Police for details on the investigation, and are waiting to hear back from them.

King’s Manor is a group of largely Grade I medieval buildings. It was built to house the abbots of St Mary’s Abbey, the ruins of which are close by in Museum Gardens.

When the abbey was dissolved in 1539, Henry VIII instructed that it be the seat of the Council of the North, and it did this until the council was abolished in 1641.

In more recent times it housed the Yorkshire School for the Blind. When the school left in 1958, the manor was acquired by York city council.

They lease it to the University of York who use it as their city centre campus. Its archaeology, medieval studies and eighteenth century studies departments are based here.