Over the weekend I’ve been running the Anthony Powell Society Conference in York. Thanks to University of York we were able to use the magnificent King’s Manor, the university’s city centre base.
King’s Manor was originally built to house the abbots of St Mary’s Abbey, York and the Abbot’s house probably occupied the site since the eleventh century. However the earliest extant remains date from the 15th century. Following the abbey’s dissolution in 1539, Henry VIII instructed that King’s Manor be the seat of the Council of the North, a role it fulfilled until 1641. Following the Restoration the building was for some years the residence of the Governor of York. But since the late 17th century King’s Manor has been leased to various institutions until acquired by York City Council in the late 1950s and subsequently leased to University of York. It now houses the university’s Archaeology and Medieval Studies Departments.
Much of the original structure remains, and as you would expect is Grade I listed. This is photograph is the main entrance door and (although heavily restored) gives a good idea of the magnificence within.

King’s Manor, York, Doorway
York, April 2016
Click the image for a larger view