THERE can’t be many streets, in York or elsewhere, that have, at different times, been named after both beggars and nuns.

Step forward Nunnery Lane. In medieval times, it was apparently known as Bagergate, later Beggar Gate Lane.

That might actually have been because of street hawkers or pedlars, not necessarily beggars as such, admits the Clements Hall Local History Group. In its new book Nunnery Lane & Clementhorpe the group explains that street hawkers and pedlars were once also known as beggars. But never, as they say, let the truth get in the way of a good story...

The street’s more genteel modern name comes, of course, from the Bar Convent nunnery - the road has been known as Nunnery Lane since about 1823.

The new book, as the title suggests, focusses on more than just this one street - it takes in the wider area, including Clementhorpe.

It was put together during lockdown, and following several appeals (including through the Press) for old photos and memories of the area. So as you might expect, it is packed with plenty of both.

The emphasis is very much on the old shops and pubs of the area - not to mention the characters who once ran them or used them.

York Press:

The Co-op's 'Keeper of horses' George Sawdon in Clementhorpe during a flood in 1910

So in the 140 pages of this book, you’ll encounter everyone from George Sawdon, the former ‘keeper of horses’ for the Co-op, to the Air coal company and people like Arthur and Olive Dickinson, who ran a family grocery shop.

The shop was originally on Cygnet Street - there is a wonderful 1940s photo of the pair with one of their delivery vans, which sported wartime black-out headlamps. In the 1950s, they moved to Upper Price Street. They were clearly a hard-working couple: Arthur’s niece Veda Hodgin says the shop was open seven days a week - though it did close at mid-day on Sundays.

York Press:

Arthur and Olive Dickinson with a delivery van outside their shop in the 1940s

The book talks about the old shipyard at Clementhorpe, the slipway of which gave it's name to The Slip pub. "Around 1825 the Trustees of the Ouse Navigation bought a strip of land on the river bank at Clementhorpe, to construct Clementhorpe slipway for the repair of vessels," the book explains.

"This shipyard was leased to tenants, and notable vessels were launched from here, for example in the 1870s fishing smacks for the North Sea trade, and a steam gondola designed by Messrs Cooke's of Bishophill, then in 1881 a lifeboat for Whitby."

In 1935 the shipyard closed and the slipway was filled in.

One of the very few old buildings on Clementhorpe is the Riverside House. This once guarded the entrance to the Cooperative Society complex, and was occupied by their horse keeper. In 1910, that was George Sawdon - there's a wonderful photo of George standing on planks in Clementhorpe during a flood.

Back to Nunnery Lane itself, and the former grocer's shop at 97a. In the 1920s this belonged to the Birrell family. There's a wonderful photo of a young Godfrey Birrell, all neat hair, shorts and long socks, standing outside the shop. It is so good, it has been chosen as the book's cover photo.

York Press:

Godfrey Birrell outside his family’s grocer’s shop at 97a Nunnery Lane in about 1928

  • 'Nunnery Lane and Clementhorpe: exploring old shops and pubs' is published by the Clements Hall Local History Group, priced £8.00. It is available from Pextons, Frankie & Johnny's Cookshop and The Winning Post on Bishopthorpe Road, Fred's Bakery on Albemarle Road and The Trafalgar Bay on Nunnery Lane.