Window to York’s past (From York Press)

Window to York’s past

11:24am Monday 9th January 2012 in History articles By Stephen Lewis

On January 19, 1891, a 30-year-old doctor stepped off the train from London at York Station. Dr William Arthur Evelyn had come to York to be a partner at a GP practice in Museum Street.

But as he stood outside the railway station facing the ancient city walls he is said to have fallen in love with York.

It is fortunate for us all that he did. Over the next 44 years, he became a pioneer of the conservation of the city he had grown to love. “Indeed, had Dr Evelyn not made that propitious journey (from London to York) York would probably be a very different, less impressive place today,” writes local historian Paul Chrystal in his latest book.

The story of this noted conservation pioneer was beautifully told in an earlier book by another local historian: Hugh Murray’s Dr Evelyn’s York.

What Paul’s new book – In & Around York District Through Time – does is bring into print a number of the wonderful photographs, paintings and sketches that Dr Evelyn acquired during his life, and which he bequeathed to the York Architectural and York Archaeological Society (YAYAS). The Evelyn Collection, as this bequest is now known, provides a wonderful window on to York’s past.

We have room for only a few of the images reproduced in Paul’s book this week, but we hope they give a real taster of what a treasure trove the collection is.

Our first photo today shows the old Lendal Bridge – the one built in 1863 to replace the ferry between Barker and Lendal towers. Jon Leeman was the last ferryman, Paul notes in his book. “He received £15 and a horse and cart in redundancy compensation.”

Our second image, from a drawing by Thomas Taylor in 1806, shows another old bridge – Ouse Bridge. This was probably the fourth bridge to have crossed the Ouse at or near this point. The first is thought to have been built by the Romans. That was replaced by a wooden Viking bridge, which collapsed in 1154 under the weight of spectators gathered to witness the return of St William to York, Paul writes.

A third bridge was built, stone this time, which bore upon its back “about 50 shops, a town hall and a hospital.”

Snow, a frost, a sudden thaw and a flood in the winter of 1564 caused the central arches of that bridge to collapse. Twelve houses fell into the river and 12 people drowned, according to the History of York website.

The new bridge, opened in 1566, was the one in our picture, which was itself replaced by the one we know today in 1821.

Our third image today shows the south entrance to the Minster with the old clock.

The photograph dates back to at least 1873, the year the clock was removed.

And finally, we have two images St Crux Church in Pavement, in the process of being demolished in 1887. The dynamiting of the cupola-topped church was “one of the most heinous acts of Victorian vandalism to be visited on a city,” writes Paul in his caption. “A beautiful medieval church was hung out to dry, and the city was fleeced of one of its marvels.”

• In & Around York District Through Time, by Paul Chrystal and Simon Crossley, is published by Amberley, priced £14.99.

• You can make arrangements to view the Evelyn Collection yourself by visiting the YAYAS website, yayas.free-online.co.uk.

• We welcome contributions from readers to Yesterday Once More. However, we would ask you not to send in original photographs, as we cannot guarantee that these will be returned. If you have old photographs or documents you would like to share with us, either send copies, or phone Stephen Lewis on 01904 567263 or email stephen.lewis@nqyne.co.uk