York Historic Environment Record

NMR entry:
[SE 6052 5130] ST. GEORGE'S CHAPEL. [G.T.] (site of)

St. George's Chapel, formerly a guild chapel and after the
Dissolution a mansion house, was demolished in 1856.

There are no visible remains to confirm the site.

SE 60515129. Site of a medieval chapel known as St George's Chapel. It was built in the 12th century as a chapel for York Castle and was granted to the Knights Templar when a replacement chapel was built in 1246. It reverted to the Crown in 1312 but had fallen into disuse by the mid 15th century. In 1447 it became the base for the St Christopher and St George Guild and continued in use as a guild chapel until the suppression of the guild in 1549. The upper part of the chapel was dismantled in 1566 and a timber building erected on the surviving walls. By 1576 the building was in use as a house of correction. Documentary evidence shows that it was a workhouse in the 1630s. Other references indicate that the building was also being used for weaving. In the 18th century it was a private workhouse, employing paupers in the cloth trade, and in the late 18th century parts of the building formed a public house. It was demolished in 1856. Limited excavation undertaken in 1990 revealed the remains of the medieval chapel and evidence for 16th century restoration work and the post medieval uses of the building. Scheduled. (4)

Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)
Default value used to record large numbers of archive items which are not separately catalogued. See Monument Recording Guidelines for details of use. OS 1:1250 1962.
2 A history of Yorkshire: the city of York 1961 edited by P M Tillott 483 VCH York City, 1961, p.483 (Allison)
3 Field Investigators Comments F1 RWE 30-MAY-63
4 Scheduled Monument Notification 05-Jul-02

NMR related event
613515 Architectural Survey Investigation by RCHME/EH Architectural Survey 1995

Related Object
BF060214 ST GEORGE'S CHURCH, YORK File of material relating to a site or building. This material has not yet been fully catalogued. Copyright, date, and quantity information for this record may be incomplete or inaccurate.


YAT excavations:
Excavations by the York Archaeological Trust uncovered well-preserved structural remains and several phases of medieval occupation of the important medieval chapel of St George. Known from historical sources to have been built as the chapel for York Castle during the 12th century, it was granted to the Knights Templar in 1246 and became a royal free chapel following the suppression of the order in 1311.

Excavations also found evidence of the 16th century redevelopment of the buildings as a workhouse and later a public house. Additionally, to the west of the chapel an 18th century post-medieval building, possibly a high status residence fronting on to post-medieval Tower Street, was located. This building appeared to have been used for industrial activities in the early 19th century.

A photograph of c1855 shows the site occupied by the Windmill Inn. The lower stonework in the photograph is the original stonework of the chapel which became the foundations of the Windmill Inn. The inn was very close to the present entrance to St George's Field and was demolished in 1856 to create the Foss Basin. This was required to accommodate the many barges which were using the Browney Dyke and the Foss at that time - supplying the glassworks and Leetham's Mill.

York Archaeological Trust, 2018, St George's Chapel (Unpublished document). SYO2356.