York Mansion House, the 300-year-old home of the Lord Mayor, reopens its doors on Wednesday 6 August as the first phase of a £1.3 million restoration project completes, and as the final phase starts.
Work to build the house began in 1725 and was completed in 1732, making it one of the earliest civic buildings in England built in the classical style. As the official seat of The Right Honourable The Lord Mayor of York, the Mansion House holds and displays an important collection of items which tells York’s history.
The Mansion House closed temporarily for Phase 1 of the work on 10 November. The contents were safely stored while staff oversaw the work and continued outreach education and research on the House and its contents. Phase 2 will start in August 2025 and will continue to be overseen by Buttress Architects, heritage and conservation specialists, whose team includes conservators and mechanical, electrical and structural engineers.
Phase 1 has included repairs to the inevitable wear and tear of a Georgian building, in particular, its roof and external facades, and this will continue in Phase 2. This work has helped improve the environmental performance of the historic building through measures such as draught proofing windows and upgrading insulation The lift has been upgraded to improve accessibility for visitors and staff, and redecoration works have refreshed the stairway and drawing room ahead of the commissioned wallpaper being hung.
Phase 2 will continue to improve the external fabric of the building and will include:
- works to the passageway leading to the Guildhall including installing sympathetic lighting
- pointing the external brickwork and replacing defective bricks on the west-facing wall
- complete work to stabilise and clean the existing render on the north-facing wall
- hanging the drawing room’s new wallpaper which is being reproduced using 18th century fragments found during Phase one
- completing works to the roof
- repainting the railings on St Helen’s Square.
The Rt Hon, The Lord Mayor of York, Councillor Martin Rowley BEM, said:
For centuries, the Mansion House has been a focal point for the city and this investment is helping protect and maintain it as one of York’s important cultural assets.
“The rich pageant of civic events and ceremonies which add to the continuing story of the building can resume here, including the annual Georgian Festival which starts on 7 August.
“The refreshed and restored building is a thing of beauty and is of great interest. I’m delighted we can open its doors to you once more.”
Cllr Pete Kilbane, Executive Member for Culture at City of York Council, said:
Caring for a historic building of such significance involves regular maintenance. With this project, we’ve focussed on preserving the building’s historical integrity while ensuring it remains accessible and sustainable.
We’ve made it easier and safer for everyone to visit and use, and we’ve enhanced the building’s environmental performance as well as uncovering a glimpse into its decorative history.
“The Mansion House is set for decades more events and visits – please book your visit online."
Hannah Bellerby, the project architect from Buttress Architects, said:
This project has focused on conservation works to address much needed building fabric repairs associated with regular maintenance requirements, alongside improvements to improve energy efficiency, accessibility and fire safety.
“It has been a real pleasure to see the internal redecoration scheme come to life, an aspect of the project that has involved detailed research and analysis, and seeks to return the Mansion House to its original Georgian interior.”