Stonebow Home – the brutalist workplace block inbuilt 1964 – was broadly considered town’s most ugly constructing.
Nevertheless, earlier than the Nineteen Sixties, one different constructing had the doubtful honour of holding that title – Botterill’s Horse Depository in Tanner’s Moat.
Reader John Shaw posted in our Press nostalgia group Why We Love York – Recollections some information in regards to the constructing – which partially stays to at the present time (you possibly can nonetheless see two of its unique Moor-esque arches subsequent to The Maltings pub).
John stated the constructing was initially “Walker’s horse and carriage repository, opened 1884, designed by Walter G Penty. A horse and carriage ‘automotive park’; horses might be exercised within the paddock outdoors the partitions (now Memorial Gardens). Within the Second World Conflict, it was an emergency cell medical centre, staffed by Dr RA Dench. Earlier than Stonebow Home was inbuilt 1965, this was recurrently labelled as ‘the ugliest constructing in York’.”
The junction of Tanner ‘s Moat, Rougier Road and Museum Road in about 1955. The horse depository is the tall constructing within the centre of the picture. Photograph: Discover York Libraries and Archives
Mr Shaw additionally shared an article in regards to the repository which said that when it opened it was “some of the commodious horse and carriage repositories within the North of England”.
It was created for Thomas Walker, a well known metropolis auctioneer, and inbuilt a Moorish fashion – plainly to not everybody’s liking given its later repute as an eyesore.
It was designed to accommodate as much as 80 horses at one time, on the bottom flooring.
The primary flooring was reserved for carriages and a spectator’s gallery.
The carriages have been raised to the automobile division through a hoist.
Earlier than shifting to this purpose-built website, Mr Walker had rented the Museum Stables.
The article suggests the transfer was mandatory as a result of buying and selling in horses was booming, recording that some 1,000 horses handed by Mr Walker’s fingers within the earlier yr. It was a golden period for this type of transport – in fact, the approaching of the automotive would change all the pieces.
The repository was additionally a spot the place individuals might secure their horses, or certainly choose one up – and a carriage – whereas visiting York.
The horses additionally transported items from the station to completely different elements of town.
The location later turned often called Botterill’s horse and carriage repository which was demolished in 1962.
There are two additional photos of the horse depository: artist Frank Watkins created engraved photos of inside and outside the constructing; you possibly can see them on-line right here: https://www.meisterdrucke.uk/fine-art-prints/Frank-Watkins/277021/Walker’s-Horse-Repository,-York.html
Share your recollections
For those who love delving into York’s previous and seeing pictures and studying tales from yesteryear then be sure you examine The Press day by day for its common nostalgia tales. And do not miss our eight-page nostalgia complement each Wednesday within the paper.
We even have greater than 8,000 members in our on-line nostalgia group on Fb, Why We Love York – Recollections. It’s free to hitch and you will see us at www.fb.com/teams/yorknostalgia/.
It will be nice to see your outdated pictures of York – they usually do not should be from centuries in the past. All of us love seeing outdated pictures from our latest previous, and a few of our extra common tales with readers date from the 70s, 80s and 90s.
When you’ve got a nostalgia story for us, please electronic mail maxine.gordon@thepress.co.uk.
