Barley Hall

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

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.

Been there since I was a kid on school trip and now after 20 years, it is so good to see this place again as it has not changed much plus really good memories to see the pomace again.

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

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.

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!

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 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 recommend a visit!

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.