By the start of the C18th this house had become so ruinous that the assemblies were returned to the King’s Manor, however, these were no longer able to properly cater for the large gatherings visiting York for the Assizes and the horse races. This lack of adequate facilities for aristocratic social gatherings resulted in a proposal – on 1 March 1730 and led by Sir William Wentworth – to raise £3,000 for the creation of purpose built Assembly Rooms.

It was originally intended that the gentleman architect William Wakefield (a subscriber to the new rooms) would provide the design. However, following Wakefield’s death in April 1730, Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington, was approached. Burlington was at that time engaged in relaying the floor of York Minster. A very loose brief was given and Burlington, a subscriber himself, helped to raise additional funds amongst his friends, with the total fund eventually coming to around £8,000. The Foundation Stone was laid on 1st March 1731 (the birthday of Queen Caroline) and the principal construction was completed in 1732, although alterations and decoration continued until at least 1735.

Intended as a place for aristocratic and gentry social gatherings, it included a grand hall for dancing, as well as smaller rooms for more intimate gatherings and card games. The Assembly Rooms form an important element of the C18th transformation of York for elite socialising, alongside the development of the Theatre Royal, construction of the Mansion House, and creation of St Helen’s Square. Later developments included York Racecourse Grandstand, the Assizes Court, Bootham Hospital, and the New Walk. These collectively reflect York’s C18th status as an elite cultural hub in Northern England.

The People Who Shaped and Inhabited It

We are lucky to have amazing surviving records for the construction and later history of the Assembly Rooms. These document show not only key figures, such as the architect and wealthy subscribers, but also the lesser-known craftspeople who built the Assembly Rooms, as well as the names of many people who attended events there from the C18th onwards.

The Assembly Rooms was designed by Richard Boyle, 3rd Earl of Burlington, based on the description of an Egyptian Hall by Roman architect, Vitruvius. Lord Burlington was one of the most influential architects of Georgian England. Craftspeople involved in the construction included bricklayers James Disney, William Potter and Quintin Snare, carpenters William Etty and John Terry, and plasterer John Bagnall (who created the rich decorative plasterwork), amongst many others.

The Assembly Rooms have been altered on several occasions, with changes by architects, John Carr, Sir John O’Corall, JP Pritchett and Charles Watson, and J.B & W Atkinson. Following WW2 bomb damage, the building was restored by the Council in 1950-51 as part of the Festival of Britain, and new painted wallpaper was added to the Circular Room by artist Paul JL Wyeth, depicting the acclamation of Roman Emperor Constantine in York in 306AD.

Important Restoration Projects by York Conservation Trust

Historic buildings require regular maintenance and repair. As caretakers for the Assembly Rooms since 2002, the YCT has recently undertaken several important restoration projects. Starting in 2017, we replaced the failing C18th flat ceiling to the Great Assembly Room. Costing circa £500k, we also cleaned and restored the glass chandeliers, and in 2020 we replaced the plaster dome in the Circular Room. This specialist work was completed using traditional techniques by plaster craftspeople from Ornate Interiors. We carried out further roof and ceiling repairs in 2021, and alterations to the rainwater goods in 2022. We are now preparing for another phase of repairs to front parapets and porticos.

Evolution Timeline

1730s – construction of York Assembly Rooms
1752 – Architect John Carr repaired the lantern roof structure, which had leaked since construction due to its shallow pitch.
1773 – following a small fire, the Lesser Assembly were remodelled to designs by Sir John O’Corall
1791 – John Carr moved the external front steps to within the projecting portico to ease traffic congestion caused by the building projecting into Blake Street
1828 – Architects JP Pritchett and Charles Watson re-fronted the building, replacing Burlington’s projecting design with the current flat facade and portico, again to ease congestion. The portico was originally designed on a plinth with stairs, but these were later removed to create the present flat pavement across the building.
1843 – Alterations were made to the roofs, lanterns and ventilation system by architects JB & W Atkinson.
1859–60 – colourful new ceiling decorative scheme was added by Owen Jones, author of the influential book Grammar of Ornament (1856). In 1860 all of the original Murano glass chandeliers (amongst the earliest of their kind in the UK) were sold, together with the organ. Only one of the original chandeliers is known to survive, which today hangs in the Treasurer’s House, York.
1858 – The interiors were remodelled, again by JB & W Atkinson, including the removal of the side walls of the Great Assembly Room, as well as the music gallery.
1939 – The building was taken over by the City Council, who commenced major repairs, which were interrupted by WW2.
1940-45 – The building was utilised by the UK Ministry of Food, and suffered damage following an air raid on 29th April 1942.
1950-51 – The Council undertook major repairs, completing the works started in 1939 and repairing the air raid damage. Replacement chandeliers were commissioned from Venini Murano Glass, who are thought to have manufactured the C18th originals (although the replacements have hollow arms for electrical wiring), new painted wallpaper was added by artist Paul Wyeth, and the interior columns were painted to resemble marble.
1970s-80s – Various ceiling and plasterwork repairs were made following the discovery of Deathwatch beetle in some of the ceiling and roof timber.