York Historic Environment Record

The york central audit of heritage assets report mentions that the carriage works mess room was constructed in 1888 and demolished between 1892 and 1929.

By the time the Carriage Works opened in 1884, there were few facilities for the workforce. A Mess Room (later called the Canteen Building) was added shortly after the first phase of construction in 1888. Located near the Holgate Road entrance and the foreman’s lodge, its architectural form and style complemented the existing buildings at the site (Alan Baxter 2024). Architectural drawings submitted in October 1887 in the name of Robert Kitching, illustrate a vaulted, open interior, with two serveries flanking a central entrance in the south-east wall, each with a cooking range, table, sink and counter. Heating apparatus was placed in the bay beyond the servery to the right, and a lavatory to the left. The seating was arranged as two long rows of twenty fixed tables with benches. Following expansion of the carriagework in the late 19th century further smaller scale additions were made at the start of the 20th century including to the canteen including cycle provision. During WWI the Mess Room was altered internally to accommodate the influx of women workers on the site including dedicated toilets.
Alan Baxter report suggests that the original Mess Room was demolished and rebuilt at some point during the 1940s. No plans exist to confirm this, however RAF aerial photography taken shortly after the War indicates that the early 1900s extension was either increased in length or rebuilt around this time.

Dr Bill Fawcett, John A Ives and Alison Sinclair, 2013, YORK CENTRAL AUDIT OF HERITAGE ASSETS,NOVEMBER 2013 (Report). SYO1457.

*Alan Baxter, 2024, Alliance House & canteen building (Unpublished document). SYO3109.