York's Bar Convent: How much do we learn from history?

MANY of us have walked down Blossom Street countless times without realising we were walking past England’s oldest surviving Catholic convent.

And that was exactly the nuns’ intention back in 1686 – to hide in plain sight.

At the time, Catholicism was an illegal practice in England, punishable by execution, following Henry VIII’s Reformation, which saw convents, abbeys and monasteries destroyed.

The York Unlocked event was on this weekend (October 15 -16), which saw historical buildings that are either usually or always closed, open their doors to tell the public their hidden stories.

• READ MORE: October half term: Naburn Locks holds heritage day out

Bar Convent unlocked new research from diary entries and records, which found a priest’s hiding hole and escape routes not known previously.

I wanted to come and learn about this mysterious convent, and the brave sisters who, from what must have been through the strength of their piety alone, risked their lives to practice their faith in secret.

The sisters followed the Order of Yorkshire woman Mary Ward, and bought this property by pretending to be widows, as unmarried women could not own property at the time. Three of Mary’s uncles were actually part of the Gunpowder Plot to blow up parliament in 1605, which I learned at the convent.

Here they opened up England’s second school for girls (the first, opened by the same Order, is in London). This was the start of Mary's legacy of opening 200 schools around the world.

Bar Convent's Georgian Parlour exhibit Picture: Emily Horner (Image: Emily Horner)

Upon entering, the Parlour was straight to the left which acted as a reception room to greet parents of prospective students.

I would love to have spoken to one of these forward-thinking parents and ask why they wanted to educate their daughters, especially despite the risk of the convent being discovered by the authorities.

At the centre of the building was the ‘Winter Garden’ courtyard. As some may guess from the style, the beautiful tiled flooring wasn’t there till 1928, when the school became the Bar Convent Grammar.

The Winter Courtyard is now the museum's cafe Picture: Emily Horner (Image: Emily Horner)

But it was the chapel upstairs that I found to be the most impressive. It was built entirely in secret! The nuns told the authorities they were simply building a dance hall, and so it was never questioned! 

The domed ceiling was bright white and decorated with gold filigree, which depicted subtle symbols of bread and wine.

It was made to look as if it really was a dance hall with the Georgian era decor, with eight escape exits along the back of the room in the event of a sudden raid.

The chapel was made to look like a dance hall Picture: Emily Horner (Image: Emily Horner)

The priest’s hiding hole was tucked around the corner, which was a very narrow, claustrophobia-inducing hole in the floorboards.

In 1583, it was made law that anyone convicted of being a Catholic priest would be hung, drawn, and quartered. Religion gives its believers peace, but I wonder how much the sisters and priests felt at peace with this forboding threat?

Imagine having to squeeze down there to hide in the event of a sudden raid from the authorities. Imagine trying to still breathe down there while your chest was racing, and your throat was clenched from the fear of getting caught.

Looking down the priest's hiding hole Picture: Emily Horner (Image: Emily Horner)

Would this fear have been made all the more pressing by none other than hand of martyr Margaret Clitherow on display in the chapel?! The young woman is notorious in York for being 'pressed to death' in 1586, in Shambles for her faith.

Margaret Clitherow's hand Picture: Emily Horner (Image: Emily Horner)

I found the chapel to be poignant. It left me wondering how much we really learn from history. The sisters' story loosely reminds me of Clifford's tower, when centuries before, the entire community of York's Jews at the time were massacred in 1190 for not following Christianity. 

I’ve met many people today who still feel they have to conceal their faith in fear of social judgement. Thank Goodness we now have religious freedom by law, but its sad that people still feel that showing their faith is an act of bravery.