The making of Duncombe Place: 7 great old photos

They document the creation in its modern form of one of York's most iconic streets - Duncombe Place, the street with the best view of the city's majestic Minster.

Six of the photographs date from the 1850s and 1860s. An 1854 photograph (below) actually shows Narrow Lop Lane, or Little Blake Street as it was also known.

Lop Lane in 1854

This street led up to the Minster and all the buildings visible on the right hand side of the photograph were demolished in about 1860 to create the wide Duncombe Place we know today, with its wonderful view of the cathedral. The street was actually named in honour of Dean Duncombe as it was his idea to widen the lane.

Another 1850s photo, taken from the roof of 2 Museum Street by George Fowler Jones, also shows Lop Lane from a higher angle, and makes clear how narrow and dark it was.

Early photo taken in the 1850s showing a tree-lined Lop Lane leading up to the Minster

Three photographs from the 1860s meanwhile show the gradual process of demolition of the lane, and the open view of the Minster that resulted.

1860s: The Minster's west front pictured during the creation of Duncombe Place

Another 1860s view showing Duncombe Place being created

Newly completed Duncombe Place in the 1860s

In the early days, of course, there wasn't a tree in sight. Our final photograph, taken in the 1920s, shows how quickly that began to change.

A very damp police officer is standing on point duty at the junction of Duncombe Place, Blake Street, St Leonard's Place and Museum Street.

Duncombe Place in the 1920s, with damp policeman

The photograph was taken almost 100 years ago, but the entire layout of this unique part of York already looks much more like the way it does today.

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