Comments on: Poor Clares, York, April 2015 (April daily photo, 9)

By: Scott

Scott — Sat, 23 Apr 2022 09:06:26 +0000

Thanks what an awesome story. My Nana was Looked after the lodge and as a very young boy I would visit and got to stay and explore the building which as you can imagine for a young boy was pretty exciting. There was old staircases, small rooms which led to more small rooms. Large open sleeping quarters partitioned only by sheets. The courtyard on the other side of that wall was lovely and was home to friendly tortoises and colourful fish. These were my memories from the late 70s-82. I later went back in 92 and everything looked the same!

By: Elizabeth H

Elizabeth H — Wed, 31 May 2017 20:41:27 +0000

Twice there have been ‘Open’ events at the Poor Clares to celebrate notable anniversaries of being there such as 150 years there. All the convent was open and there were afternoon teas. In the 1970s there was a Christmas carol service in conjunction with St Lawrence’s church and it was always a sell-out. Although it was not feasible for the few remaining sisters to maintain and heat such large buildings and gardens it is sad to see what a mess it all looks at present. The sisters will have access to the burial area when the site is completed. Lawrence St has been ruined by the out of proportion student blocks. One hopes the cobbles will be replaced along Lawrence St outside the convent.

By: Deborah Roberts

Deborah Roberts — Sun, 04 Sep 2016 15:05:06 +0000

My mother talked about the Poor Clares in York.
She was born in Kitchener Street and was one of the Shortle family .
Her mother was a great admirer of the Order though not a Catholic herself.
It was well known that beggars who knocked at its door were never turned away hungry.
What a sad end to their old home , yet again going to be filled to the gunnels with the less that attractive housing that is destroying York and cities countrywide simply to make a quick buck under the banner of ” growth “.

By: Lisa @YorkStories

Lisa @YorkStories — Tue, 19 Apr 2016 18:41:38 +0000

Mike and Andy, thanks for adding these memories, so evocative. I wasn’t aware of the place at all until 2004, and have only passed by occasionally since. Nice to read more about it, thank you.

By: AndyT

AndyT — Thu, 14 Apr 2016 16:23:21 +0000

As a student in York in the late 70s, I remember calling there to buy eggs. There was some sort of small door or hatch, where a shy nun would emerge for the shortest possible time, complete the transaction and disappear inside again.

By: Mike K

Mike K — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 20:56:31 +0000

As a young boy I used to pass this place every morning on the way to St. Lawrence’s school. It was sometime around 1970 and there were always a small band of homeless men queuing up for their free breakfast: I believe that they also got a change of clothes. I remember being fascinated by the high wall which, to a small, boy, aroused my curiosity as to what was behind it. Living just over the road in Arthur Street, there were a number of places that were just crying out to be explored, such as ; the scrap yard, with what sounded like a viscous Alsatian behind its’ door on the corner of Bull Lane; or the council tip and surrounding overgrown land that stretched all the way back to Derwent Valley Light Railway. For 2 years I tried various rouses to get beyond the convent wall; from piling up some old crates: my excuse to passers by was that the wood was for my bonfire; to taking a more direct approach and walking in through the gate, only to be chased off by a not so friendly nun. I never did manage to find out what was behind the wall and it wasn’t until the onset of the internet that I finally found out what I’d missed out on.