RECOGNISE this street (above?) It's Goodramgate - but in a photo taken in about 1900, before shops (including one called 'The Little Wonder') had been demolished to make way for Deangate.

All these photographs of old Goodramgate come from the wonderful Imagine York website. They range from the 1870s right up to 1971, and show the changing face of a street has always been a popular thoroughfare.

Goodramgate, 1870s

York Press:

The photo shows Lady Row - the row of white houses on the left - in the late 1870's. The houses are the oldest in York and date from about 1316. The gate on the extreme left of the picture is the entrance to Holy Trinity Church. There are several 'ghost' images in the photograph, not because this is a particularly haunted street, but because of the length of time required to expose the image correctly. Several shops can be seen, including an 'umbrella hospital' on the left, and a butcher, a Temperance Hotel and a paint shop on the right.

Goodramgate at the turn of the 19th century

York Press:

Some of the buildings on the left (87 and 88) were left empty to prepare for their demolition to make way for Deangate in 1903. No 89, at the time occupied by Fred Wood's Family Grocer shop, still stands at the eastern end of College Street and is owned by the National Trust. The archway (still in existence but now with its timbers exposed) is all that remains of a covered way which Richard II (1377-1399) allowed the Vicars-Choral to build, so that they could cross from their homes in Bedern to the Minster Yard without being molested.

A similar view, this time of Goodramgate in 1895

York Press:

On the left of the frame is Darley Webster's bootmakers and the shop next door, labelled "The Little Wonder", is possibly James Morris' fruiterers. Charles Sidwell, a saddler, had premises at no. 88 and then there was the entrance to College Street. Fred Wood had a grocers shop on the corner - this is now the last shop in the row as all the previous premises were demolished in 1901 to make room for the new Deangate which was opened in 1903. The significance of the flag on the right hand side is unclear.

Goodramgate in the 1890s

York Press: This was taken a decade or so before the making of Deangate.

Goodramgate in the 1890s

York Press:

These cyclists are in front of Fred Wood's grocer's shop on Goodramgate in the 1890s. The demolition work is to remove premises for the creation of Deangate 6. These boys are standing in front of Fred Wood's grocers shop at 89 Goodramgate. His name can be seen on the handcart. The boy who is crouching may well be playing marbles. The photograph probably dates from 1910, ie after buildings had been demolished to make way for Deangate.

Goodramgate in 1971

York Press:

These premises on Goodramgate were photographed in September 1971 by the Corporation before their repair and restoration. No. 17 is occupied by John Hutchinson's Timber Merchants and no. 19 by the Northern Tropical Fish Shop.

  • All the photos on these pages, and thousands more, are held on Explore York’s wonderful Imagine York archive. You can browse it yourself just by visiting imagineyork.co.uk/