Black Swan at Peasholme Green - changing face of York

With its distinctive black and white timber framed frontage, it's hard not to spot the Black Swan pub at Peasholme Green.

Our photo, from the city council's Explore archive, dates from the 1950s - a time of great change for this area of York.

The pub itself is one of the oldest in York - largely a 17th century building on the site of an even earlier, medieval inn.

Peasholme Green is reportedly so named because it was once a water meadow where peas were grown.

The Black Swan, as well as being one of York’s oldest pubs, is also reputedly one of its most haunted. The numerous ghosts said to frequent the building include a Victorian workman in a bowler hat, and a pair of legs without a body that walk around the landlord’s private quarters.

Peasholme Green today with the Black Swan on the left, Moxy Hotel centre, and Hiscox on the right. Photo - Google Street View (Image: Supplied)

In the late-18th century, the house was converted into a pub, although much of its interior survives intact from the 1670 alterations.

This area of York was known as Peasholme Green by 1563 when it had a roughly triangular shape, narrowing from south-west to north-east.

The broad south-western end of the street was used for various purposes including a market for pigs in the 16th century, for wool fleece in the 18th century, and then as a hay market from 1827.

In the 19th century, the road was alternatively known as Union Street.

It started to look very different after 1955 when The Stonebow was built - linking Whip-ma-whop-ma-gate with Foss Islands.

Today, the pub still stands, but is surrounded by newer builds including the Moxy Hotel and the Hiscox insurance building.