Barley Hall
Barley Hall is one of the narrated stops on the self-guided York audio walking tour in Gingerguide. Plan about ~30 min here. Press play at the spot for its two to three minute story, or ask the AI guide anything about it.
- Type historic
- Suggested visit ~30 min
- York York guide
About Barley Hall
A medieval townhouse rescued from near-ruin and rebuilt: a rich goldsmith's home of about 1483, brought back to life with rushes, fire and painted cloths, honest that much of it is reconstruction.
Barley Hall is a reconstructed medieval townhouse hidden on Coffee Yard, in the passages between Stonegate and Swinegate. Built around 1360 as the York townhouse of Nostell Priory, it was later leased by the goldsmith and Lord Mayor William Snawsell, and its rooms are furnished to recreate his household around 1483. By the 20th century the house had become derelict, hidden behind later frontages and threatened with demolition; its medieval timber frame was rediscovered around 1980, and the York Archaeological Trust carried out a thorough, at the time controversial, reconstruction, opening it as a museum in 1993. Only about 30 percent of the original timber survived, so much of the frame and effectively all the furnishings are modern recreations based on the evidence. The name honours Maurice Barley, a former trust chairman, and is not historic. A Grade II listed building, it lies within the historic city of York.
Did you know? Barley Hall looks like a perfect medieval townhouse, but only about a third of its timber is original; hidden and near-derelict, it was rediscovered around 1980 and largely rebuilt, a resurrection, not a survival.
How long should you spend at Barley Hall?
Plan about ~30 min at Barley Hall. That is enough to take it in and hear its narrated story; stay longer if it grabs you. The tour is self-guided, so there is no rush.
Is Barley Hall worth visiting?
Barley Hall is one of the 18 sights the Gingerguide team researched and narrated in York, so it earns a place on a self-guided walk. Its story explains why it matters, and you can ask the AI guide anything the story leaves open.
Nearby stops in York
Hear the story of Barley Hall
Preview the York tour free in the Gingerguide app.