Comments on: Burnholme Club, a ‘fantasy villa’ facing demolition

By: AndyT

AndyT — Wed, 28 Jan 2015 19:24:47 +0000

Seems this building is currently being demolished. Surely such a fine historic building would have made a fine building to be converted into swish flats with lots of character? I naively thought we stopped demolishing fine buildings in the 1970s. How sad that this is York 2015. I cant help but think such a building in London would have been saved and converted, so why not in our historic York?

By: Garry

Garry — Sun, 04 Aug 2013 21:45:43 +0000

It would be an absolute shame to demolish such a fine building as Burnholme Club only to replace it with a number of box like structures with no character in the name of housing.
Buildings like Burnholme Club should be preserved and cherished as their like will never be built again. I spent much of my childhood playing in the grounds and exploring the many rooms within the building itself, great memories.
In my opinion it should be listed and renovated to its past glories.
Long term loss and short term gain for a few builders with no attachment to the area.

By: Stephen Keith

Stephen Keith — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 22:47:29 +0000

The most impressive York building that was once a York workingmen’s club? I suggest upstairs at the junction of Market Street and Feasegate (above H. Samuel) until sometime in the early 1960’s occupied by the Anglers WMC. Another of those buildings that people never really look up and notice as they rush from shop to shop.

By: Stephen Keith

Stephen Keith — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 15:30:49 +0000

I would think that these big old houses were popular because the early clubs needed a number of rooms for the various educational and recreational activities they supported along with one or two large function rooms. At the same time large residential houses in cities became unfashionable. When Samuel Tuke died Lawrence Street would have been a very different place to when the Tukes moved in. (think Regent Street). When it was sold at auction it was the land that had the value not the house. Building a large estate of industrial housing in its back garden would have further reduced its residual value. As well as proving ideal for club premises it would also have been cheap.

By: Drake

Drake — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 12:43:31 +0000

ah well they can always knock it down put up a plastic replica in the Castle Museum

By: AJH

AJH — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 10:52:41 +0000

I was born just up the road from here and as children we gave it a very wide berth “because it was haunted”! It is actually a rather handsome building if a little faded now but it would be a shame to pull it down to erect a purpose built “box”. Fascinating to learn that a speedway track was begun in that area too, thankyou.