The future of an historic York building has been secured.
There were concerns about what would happen to King’s Manor in the centre of York after the University of York revealed it was pulling out a year ago.
Ever since the university opened in 1963, it had leased the Grade I listed building, with archaeology and history students studying there.
But bosses decided to move out, citing increased running costs and the ancient site not being “fit for modern academic use”.
Now though the city’s other university has stepped in.
York St John University is to take over the lease of King’s Manor, parts of which date back to the 15th century.
A YSJ spokesperson said: “York St John has reached an agreement with City of York Council to take a long-term lease on its King’s Manor site from 2026.
“Located near the university’s Lord Mayor’s Walk campus, King’s Manor is a potential home for a range of teaching, research, student and staff activities.
“As part of occupying the site, the university is committed to maintaining and improving public access and preserving and enhancing the historic buildings as part of York’s heritage.”
The University of York said it would move out this September, with the department of archaeology and the centres for both medieval studies and eighteenth-century studies moving to its Heslington campus.
It said the King’s Manor running costs were £500,000 from 2022 to 2023. And the “most urgent maintenance” at the site was costed at £1 million.
After the university announced its departure, a petition to ‘Save King’s Manor’ received more than 1,500 signatures.
King’s Manor – Timeline
- 1483-1502 – built as the abbot’s house of the Benedictine abbey of St Mary
- 1539 – with the dissolution of the monasteries, King Henry VIII instructed it become the home of the Council of the North
- 1641 – Council of the North abolished
- 1667 – residence of the governor of the City of York
- 1688 – leased to Alderman Robert Waller and divided up into dwellings, workshops and warehouses
- 1723 – leased to Sir Thomas Robinson of Newby, in whose family it remained until the early 19th century
- 1835-1958 – home to the Yorkshire School for the Blind
- 1958 – acquired by York City Council
- 1963 – leased to the University of York
Source: Heritage Gateway