Memories of St Stephen's Orphanage: now York's Hotel du Vin

Today, 89 The Mount, is home to the Hotel du Vin, but we only have to look back a few decades to discover a totally different use for the stunning Grade II listed Georgian villa.

It housed St Stephen's Orphanage until 1976, when Shepherd Homes took it over.

One of our archive photos today, dates from that time.

The building today - the site of the rather swish 44-room Hotel du Vin - looks very similar to how it did back in the time of the orphanage.

Sports day at St Stephen's Orphanage in 1958

The interiors, however, are much changed (not surprising perhaps after the hotel owners spent £9 million on a refurb ahead of opening in November 2007).

Back in 2017, Press reader Violet Magrs, recalled her days at St Stephen's Orphanage in York.

She told us: "When I was a child I lived in St Stephen’s children’s home, a long white Georgian house with polished floors and pastel walls.

"It was a noisy, big old Georgian house. The front entrance was very grand, leading to a large hall and a wide central staircase, filled with light from the arched window at the top.

"At the end of the hall was the playroom. A piano stood in the corner where we would gather and sing to our hearts content in front of the fire. At the top of the stairs to the right was the nursery. To the left were five dormitories. Between each dormitory was a small bedroom for the sisters. The large bathroom was situated near the back stairs."

Founded in 1870 in Precentor's Court by Harriet, Lady Duncombe, wife of the Dean of York, the orphanage was intended to provide shelter for up to 13 'female orphans' and train them as domestic servants. It quickly outgrew its space, and moved to Trinity Lane, off Micklegate, in 1872, and then in 1919 to the site at The Mount.

The orphanage ran into financial trouble - but in 1874, Major William Worsley of Hovingham formed a management committee which loaned it £125.

Katharine Worsley, whose family was a patron of the children's home

The Worsleys kept their links with the orphanage for many years - in the 1950s Katharine Worsley helped out at the home, which now took both boys and girls, before she married the Duke of Kent at York Minster in 1961.

Violet recalls her many visits. "Katharine - better known nowadays as the Duchess of Kent - helped out during a staff shortage. She bathed, played games and read bedtime stories to the children, and soon became a favourite with everyone, because she genuinely cared. She was always smiling and happy to be around. Most of us had come from broken homes, through this we found a unity that bonded us together."

Members of our nostalgia group, Why We Love York - Memories, also have memories of the orphanage.

Jenny Wheatley-Wood posted: "The children came to Holy Trinity Sunday School, I taught them there. Then sometimes, a few girls came home with me for Sunday tea. My Mother was so kind to them. The Matron was a lovely lady. I helped with their fundraising garden parties etc. Late 50s early 60s. Good memories."

Pat Taylor recalled the Matron, Mrs Cobb, saying she was "a kind lady".

Pauline Taylor said: "I used to take a couple of them home for weekends. I met them at the Saturday morning cinema club at the Odeon. I was invited to their Christmas party and summer party. I guess it would be at the time when Duchess of Kent (Katharine Worsley as she was then) used to help out there - 1950s."

Geraldine Coates, who attended Scarcroft Junior school and Holy Trinity Sunday School, said she remembered the garden parties and winning in a dog show.

Chris Elliott said: "I remember my mum used to threaten to send me there if I was naughty."

Civic Trust plaque unveiled in 2016

In 2016, York Civic Trust unveiled a plaque on the building to commemorate the orphanage.

At the ceremony was Sir William Worsley.

The plaque reads: "St Stephen's Orphanage (founded 1870) moved to this building from Trinity Lane after World War 1. With the assistance of many notable patrons, including Dean Duncombe, the Worsley family of Hovingham, and Dr W A Evelyn, it provided accommodation, support and training to hundreds of orphaned girls for more than a century."

You can see more old photos of York online from the City of York Council/Explore York Libraries archive at images.exploreyork.org.uk.

And if you love looking at old photos of York, make sure to buy The Press every Wednesday for our weekly nostalgia supplement and join us in our Facebook group, Why We Love York - Memories. Join us at www.facebook.com/groups/yorknostalgia/.