Stripped of all its trappings, this is York’s Mansion House as naked as the day it was built.
Without the fancy furniture, oil paintings or floor coverings, the home to the Lord Mayor looks very different. And yet, in some ways, it is possible to appreciate all the more the epic grandeur of the original 1732 design.
The Mansion House closed in August ready for its biggest restoration since it opened. Funded with £1.2m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and £400K from City of York Council, the Opening Doors project will see four main improvements:
- the original kitchens restored
- improved displays, conservation and access to the civic collection of gold and silverware
- the development of an environmental and conservation plan
- and an oral history of the building compiled.
Richard Brigham of York Past & Present has been capturing the naked Mansion House for posterity. He took these amazing pictures of our historic civic centre before York-based contractors William Anelay begin restoration work in the New Year.