Barley Hall is a reconstructed medieval townhouse in the city of York, England. It was built around 1360 by the monks of Nostell Priory near Wakefield and extended in the 15th century. The property went into a slow decline and by the 20th century was sub-divided and in an increasingly poor physical condition.
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Beautiful and remarkable restored medieval townhouse that is wonderfully tucked away down a lovely side street in the Centre of York. The townhouse has some wonderful charm and character inside and outside and has been brilliantly restored without people realising the fact but also looks like it's former self showing the wonderful work constricted by York Archaeology in restoring it a while ago. The townhouse may appear small on the outside but it is bigger than you think on the inside with plenty of rooms to see including The Steward's Room, Great Chamber, Great Hall, Gallery, Lesser Chamber, Parlour, Buttery and Pantry. All of the rooms are laid out brilliantly and are magnificently presented giving you an idea of how they were during Medieval times and how people lived during the Medieval Period. The best of the rooms on display are The Parlour and Great Hall as they wonderfully vast rooms but also get can a brilliantly how people relaxed and dined and ate food during that period but also can idea of the food they ate and their diet. In all of the rooms there are some information boards detailing each of the rooms and their uses and these boards are very detailed and informative helping you to learn some very useful facts. There are some interesting displays of the games played during the Medieval Period and the rules of these games and in the Tudor Schoolroom you can see a wonderful display about the Games and Recreation played during the Medieval Period and there are some interesting game related artefacts such as dice, which look in great condition. There is also a small display on Music, which is enthralling and interesting. There is a small gift shop at the entrance which sells an array of souvenirs at very reasonable prices. Overall this is a fabulous and magnificent place to visit which makes for a pleasant, interesting and relaxing day out. Well worth a visit...
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The hall itself was clean and easy to navigate. We felt that there could be more items or descriptions in some rooms, such as the pantry and buttery. The reason for the two star review is because of the abismal treatment by the member of staff who was in charge of ticketing yesterday afternoon, a woman with red/purple eye glasses and straight dark hair. She seemed annoyed when my husband and I came in to purchase tickets and did not greet us or even speak to either of us until we asked for tickets. We were both friendly and polite upon entry and even asked how her day was going, to which we were met with silence and no response back. Once we asked for tickets she visibly sighed and seemed personally annoyed at us wanting to purchase tickets. Through the ticket purchasing process she was silent and didn’t say anything, and then sped through her spiel about the rules of Barley Hall very quickly and just handed us the tickets. My husband and I brushed it off as maybe she was just not really sociable. However, on our way out the same woman was speaking to an older couple who was purchasing tickets and was so expressive and descriptive and informative and kind. Our interaction with her was so curt and we felt she had been quite rude. The only thing we can pinpoint as to why she treated us like an inconvenience and bother and an older couple better is down to age. In the end we didn’t even bother looking at the shop on our way out as watching her interact so nicely to everyone else completely put us off. Based off the way she treated my husband and I (we are in our mid/late 20’s), I would not recommend for other young couples to interact with her. The hall itself was very nice and we HIGHLY recommend the video in the old schoolroom downstairs as it does a great job of describing the restoration and history of...
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My second visit to this remarkable medieval townhouse, hidden away at the end of a narrow passage leading off busy Stonegate. With its authentic timbered ceilings, creaky wooden staircases and rooms filled with replica 15th century furniture, wall hangings, tapestries, and domestic artefacts, it gave me a vivid impression of what life must have been like for the late medieval family who lived here. Adult admission is £9 (the ticket is valid for a year), and you can also buy a guidebook with lots of info about the hall's history, rediscovery and restoration. The rooms are on three floors. You need to be aware of the raised thresholds between some of the rooms. Highlights for me included the Great Hall laid out for a Tudor banquet, the schoolroom in the basement, and the upstairs long gallery. Don't miss the authentic horn window and the tiny hidden garden! I found the exhibition about the role animals played in medieval life really interesting. There were info cards to read, and enthusiastic and knowledgeable guides around to answer any questions. You can sit on the chairs, handle the artefacts, play medieval board games, and make yourself feel right at home! Plenty of interactive fun for children, including dressing up and tracing medieval drawings on lightboxes and then colouring them in. There's a café in the courtyard, downstairs toilets and some lovely themed gifts and toys in the shop. I thoroughly enjoyed my time here and would definitely...
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