York Historic Environment Record

When the Ouse Bridge was rebuilt, after 1154 when its predecessor collapsed owing to the crowd gathered to see Archbishop William. A chapel was constructed on it named for the Archbishop because no-one had drowned after the collapse. It was destroyed in 1564 with the bridge.

NMR Information

The chapel was not destroyed in 1564, but was demolished as part of the rebuilding of the bridge in 1810. RCHME Volume III

Monument 20
Demolished in 1810 but some of its masonry survives in the Yorkshire Museum, and the clock from it is now in Scunthorpe Museum. A chapel was standing in 1223 and was rebuilt, incorporating parts of the earlier structure, after 1228 when letters of protection were granted for David, collecting money for the Ouse Bridge and the Chapel of St. William of York (CPR, 1225–32, 175). The chapel was built above a cellar, which in 1376 was leased to John de Shirburn (York Memorandum Book, SS, cxx, 5). The cellar had one round or segmental-headed window flanked by two rectangular windows in its E. wall (Halfpenny, Plate 22). A watercolour of 1776 (Gott Collection, Wakefield Museum, iii. 12) and a view by Cave show a small door fronting the street to E. of the main door to the chapel, though this is not shown on the plan of c. 1800 (Evelyn Photographic Collection, No. 51). It may have led to a staircase to the lower level. In 1547 it was agreed to take down the steeple and all the lead from the chapel, and re-roof it with stone. All the fittings were to be sold, with the exception of the clock and bells (YCR, v, 39) but the Marian reaction led to refurnishing. In 1554 repairs to the glass windows and altars were ordered, and payments made to Edmond Walkyngton and (William?) Fornes, glaziers, and John Wedderell, locksmith, for mending the broken glass windows in the chapel; to Thomas Yaits, tiler, for repairs to the walls about the windows; and to (Richard) Graves and (Thomas) Grethede, carvers, for eight new pillars to the 'parclose' (YCR, v, 100; Raine, 216). In 1578, Queen Elizabeth's arms were set above the chapel door to show that the building was being used as a law court (YCR, vii, 175). Alterations were ordered in 1585 to chambers in the chapel used for the detention of prisoners (YCR, viii, 99–100). The chapel was demolished in 1810 during the rebuilding of the bridge but drawings were made during its demolition (Cave, Plates 23–7; original drawings in York City Art Galley, Evelyn Collection, PD 1325–8).


See also Wilson, B and Mee, F. 2002. 'The Fairest Arch in England'. Old Ouse Bridge, York and its Buildings. The Archaeology of York Supplementary Series

RCHME, 1972, RCHME City of York Volume III South-west of the Ouse (Monograph). SYO64.

NMR, 2019, NMR data (Digital archive). SYO2214.