Barley Hall

Tight. A great historical attraction. Not overwhelming or boring or run of the mill. Barley Hall is a little tricky to find but also well worth the effort. Too bad that coffee shop in Coffee Yard was closed. Several very friendly and helpful people working in Barley Hall also made our visit exceptional. I think my favorite thing was how they found Barley Hall and how they restored it.

Wonderful exhibit, it was like walking through another time. Great that there were toys of yester year which you could read about and actually play. The staff where friendly, welcoming qand approachable and full of knowledge. We were not really sure what we were going to find however, we were very pleased that we did visit Barley Hall

Fantastic visit, amazing restoration and lots of great displays to look at. Well worth the visit

Worth a visit to see all the heritage glory of this hall. You must watch the 8 minute video because it shows lot of the hard work the went into the reconstruction and restoration of the hall. It was built in 1360 and after reused in centuries it was used as a storage by a plumber and about to demolition when they found its history in 1980 and resorted it in its glory.

Brilliant! They carefully reconstructed a medieval townhouse just as it used to be, and even used some of the original timber and an originally medieval hearth. The experience is very hands-on, as you're encouraged to pick up and handle items. Plenty of info cards offer insights into medieval life, but if you don't feel like reading, they're also available in audio format. Additionally, there was an interesting focus on animals in medieval life and their symbolism that I really enjoyed!

Me and my partner visited when we came on holiday to York for a few days. It's quite small but definitely worth a visit, we had great fun trying out the little games and looking at all the animals related bits. Would be a great place to take children as plenty of activities for them to try!

A finely restored medieval merchant's house in the centre of York. The visitor experience reminded me very much of Strangers Hall in Norwich. The kids got a lot of enjoyment out of the range of activities available on the afternoon that we went. The toilets were nice and clean and the history of how the building stood for so long was interesting. I'd recommend for a morning or afternoon visit in an itinerary.

Visited here for a number of extras as part of the Jorvik festival and it’s a great place to do such things. I went here for leather working, nalbinding, pottery, mead tasting and the Jorvik immersive theatre which was a fabulous play with audience participation put on by 2 fabulous guys. Brilliant fun to be had all round.

My wife and I visited Barley Hall in September 2024. It was an afterthought, having bought tickets to the Jorvik Viking museum, this was a small additional fee. But it was worth it. Not a long visit, probably an hour or so. There are several rooms to explore, each with laminated info cards to pick up and read the history and purpose. Interactive games for kids learning too. Along with the Jorvik museum, this gave us a really good insight to medieval life in York. It makes sense to get the package, even though we did not have time to visit the other 2 attractions in the package. Finding the Hall was an adventure in itself, tucked away down a narrow lane, under an archway into a courtyard. We were there on a weekday, at the end of the day, and it was not busy. We were able to take our time and enjoy the exhibit.

Coffee Yard is a snickelway that runs between Stonegate -- a very fashionable address in the later middle ages a site tucked away in one of its back alleys--Barley Hall, a fifteenth-century townhouse in Coffee Yard. A house occupied by one of Richard III's urban supporters. One of the emerging middle class that gave such strong allegiance to the Yorkists. Barley Hall is a stunning medieval townhouse, once home to the Priors of Nostell and the Mayor of York. Until the 1980s the house was hidden under the relatively modern façade of a derelict office block. Only when the building was going to be destroyed was the amazing medieval building discovered and its history uncovered. Barley Hall's medieval origins had been long forgotten by 1980, when it appeared to be a jumble of brick structures. Ironically, millions of tourists had literally walked right through what was originally an internal corridor of the L-shaped house as they used the Coffee Yard snickelway (an alley-like passageway from one street to another) to travel from busy Stonegate to Swinegate and Grape Lane. I am not sure but I think I stood in a coutyard, that I ten realised wasn't, that may have been a part of this. It was a roofless room and I was looking at interior walls. The building has now been lovingly restored to its original splendour with stunning high ceilings, beautiful exposed timber frames, and possibly the only horn window in England. It has been decorated to replicate what it would have looked like as the Snawsell home around 1483 and boasts a magnificent Great Hall. It is a hands-on living museum, letting visitors experience life in a 15th century house in the centre of York. This is one historic attraction where you are encouraged to touch and pick up exhibits. Sit on the chairs, open chests, and generally explore the house as you choose,and experience what it would have been like to live in Medieval England.. They also have many events. In July and August medieval summer schools for children and coming up: Thu 27 - Sun 30 Nov 2008 St Nicholas Fayre Medieval Market Wed 3 - Sat 6 Dec 2008 Deck the Hall A Medieval Christmas Thu 4 Dec 2008 Barley Hall by Candlelight Sat 6, Sun 7 Dec 2008 Barley Hall Christmas Fayre Wed 10 - Sat 13 Dec 2008 Deck the Hall A Medieval Christmas Thu 11 Dec 2008 Barley Hall by Candlelight Sat 13, Sun 14 Dec 2008 Barley Hall Christmas Fayre Wed 17 - Sat 20 Dec 2008 Deck the Hall A Medieval Christmas You can follow costumed guides as they escort groups through the hall, or hire an audio tape tour. On summer weekends there are special period events, such as mystery plays and medieval markets. Great place to visit.

Another fascinating historic site in York under the Jorvick umbrella. Barley Hall has a fascinating story behind it and how it was uncovered. It doesn't take up as much time to go round and is a truely lovely building, but possibly a little tricky to find. We walked passed the entrance to the snicket its down several times. As with all Jorvick sites, if you gift aid your entry you can revisit as many times in 12months as you wish. They do good events during school holidays too, although this sometimes means you don't have access to one of the rooms.

Barley Hall was a fabulous example of 14th century architecture. That is once we found it! It is nestled in a corner of York down a little alley way. It was a really comprehensive view of what life would have been like back then and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Well worth a visit.

Fantastic Wedding Venue with real character and difference , great staff and ffab opportunities for photos within the hall and also outside with the minster and museum gardens close by , one for those who are looking for something a little different.