Look for the open paved plaza anchored by a striking building with bold red walls, tall white pillars, and a golden crest resting near the roof. That prominent building is the Mansion House, and through the gateway right beside it is the York Guildhall we just left.
This wide open space is St Helen's Square, but it has not always been so grand and orderly. Long ago, during the Roman era, the massive south-western gate of their fortress... the porta praetoria... stood right where you are standing. Centuries later, this spot completely transformed. Until the mid-eighteenth century, this very ground was entirely swallowed up by the sprawling graveyard of St Helen's Church. People used to trudge along a narrow dirt footpath directly across the graves to get between Davygate and Blake Street.
The nearby street junction even had the rather cheeky name of Cuckold's Corner. Eventually, the city needed more room. In 1745, they gave the church a new plot of land on Davygate, moved the graveyard, and paved right over this space to create the square.
It quickly became a vital hub. By 1770, stagecoaches rumbled out from the new York Tavern here, embarking on long, bumpy journeys to London. A few decades later, the famous Terry's opened their chocolate shop on the square, delighting locals for over a century, and today the elegant Bettys tea rooms sit proudly on the southeastern corner. From a quiet resting place to a gathering spot for rallies and massive holiday celebrations, this intersection truly holds the heartbeat of the city. Soak in the bustling atmosphere of the square, and once you are ready, our route continues just ahead on Blake Street.
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