NEWS that York's first and only five-star hotel The Grand is to open a new restaurant this summer prompted us to have a look back at this historic building.
The hotel which first opened in 2010 as the Cedar Court Grand Hotel has a long history as a railway headquarters for the north.
Originally built by the North Eastern Railway in 1906, it was designed to be a 'palace of business' and no expense was spared in its creation despite there being a recession at the time.
Before 1906, its head office was in York's old station and hotel in Toft Green. Directors still met in the boardroom created for "railway king" George Hudson and his fellow York & North Midland Railway directors. But by the end of the 19th century the offices were full to overflowing.
READ MORE: New restaurant, Legacy, to open at 5-star hotel, The Grand, York
The new HQ was co-designed by William Bell and Horace Field, and believed to have won a silver medal at an exhibition in Paris in 1904. It was decided that only the best materials should be used.
Building work began in 1900 and some of the photos we share today show the HQ under construction. The cost of the build was £100,000.
Inside, the design is distinguished by high ceilings, tall windows, lofty arches and wide open corridors and spaces. Belgian marble and creamy Huddlestone stone create a light, airy and spacious feel. Double-glazing was installed from the outset to keep out the noise of the York trams which trundled past outside.
By the 1960s and into the 1970s, the building was renamed British Rail North Eastern Region HQ.
The Press first reported on plans to turn the railway HQ into a luxury hotel in 2007.
The site went on the market two years earlier with a price tag of £6.25 million.
The hotel first opened in 2010 - becoming the city's first and only five-star hotel. It cost £20 million to turn the Grade II-listed former railway headquarters into a luxury hotel. On opening, it was called the Cedar Court Grand Hotel.
In 2018, it opened a 100-room extension which cost £15 million. The following year, the hotel opened its own cookery school, offering a selection of classes catering to all kinds of abilities, tastes and ages.
For more York nostalgia, join our Facebook group, Why We Love York - Memories at www.facebook.com/groups/yorknostalgia/
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