Hudson House from city walls, April 2016

Regular readers of these pages may be thinking ‘Why does she keep going on about Hudson Quarter?’ Maybe people are thinking that I’m one of those influencers and that my influence is so enormous that the developers have offered me a flat in the building in return for my recent coverage of their development.

I’ve just found it all very interesting, from various angles/points of view. From thinking more about Hudson House and large office blocks like it, to following the lengthy process of its demolition and thinking about the history of the site it was on, then looking at what has replaced it.

We are moving on to other things, but before we do, I just wanted to include a few ‘then and now’ comparisons, which I’ve been looking at while compiling the previous page. It’s easy to forget what used to occupy a piece of land, once its replacement is built.

So here’s a reminder of the old Hudson House, from the city walls, looking towards town, five years back.

Hudson House and West Offices, 24 April 2016

And here’s its replacement, from a similar perspective (not exactly the same place, a little further along the city walls).

Hudson Quarter and West Offices, May 2021

From a bit further back, before this point, it appears that more of West Offices is blocked from view than was the case previously, as the Hudson Quarter buildings seem a bit closer to the edge of the access road than Hudson House was. (See the sixth photo on the earlier page.)

As I mentioned on the previous page, there has been some work on the repaving of the access road. The photos from some years back, looking down on it from the walls, have reminded me how it looked before.

Hudson House access road, April 2016

It had a pointless pavement punctuated by planters. By 2016 they appear to have contained no plants, but for some reason sat there. Many of them those concretey-looking ones, as if there wasn’t enough concrete already in the shape of the office block itself. Opposite the planters was a strange little area of grass, with more concrete bits punctuating it, and a wiggly path alongside.

The replacement paving (see previous page) seems like a definite improvement. Sad to see though that the Hudson House quarter appears to have removed a few trees. I hadn’t noticed that before.

Time to move on along the city walls walk, towards town, and other things. But as we leave this area, a glance back at the buildings old and new.

The old:

Hudson House, from the walls, April 2016

The new:

Hudson Quarter, from the walls, May 2021

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Hudson Quarter, through city walls arch, 7 May 2021

Late in the day yesterday the sun came out and I was pleased to be able to get out for a quick walk into town. I wanted to have a look at 2 Rougier Street, but on the way got distracted by the Hudson Quarter development.

I wrote about it back in January, but at that point there were still barriers around the site and people working on it. All completed now it seems.

Blue sky and brickwork

Down here in the old railway cutting the new brick buildings rising out of it catch the evening light in a way that the drab dark concrete of Hudson House didn’t.

Around the new buildings there’s new landscaping, paving, bike racks.

It all looked very new and clean. Enhancing the impression of newness and cleanness was the particularly noticeable and pleasant woody smell of chipped bark, recently laid around the planted areas, damp from the recent rain.

There’s a courtyard garden, with a path wending through it. This was gated when I visited but may be open during the day for public access through the site. (I thought this was the plan, though it might have changed.)

Courtyard garden

No one about down here, on this Friday evening. Not much sign of occupation at the moment. I was glad about this, as it made it easier to stand around for a while and look at it, and take some photos.

I stood for a while on the access road alongside, where the hefty wall on the left reminds us of the cutting in to the landscape of the city’s earlier railway station.

Access road by Hudson Quarter, looking towards war memorial

I hadn’t noticed, until looking at these photos back at home, that the road area here has a new surface. As you’d expect, it’s generally smartened up. More on that shortly, from a different perspective.

We’re heading back up to street level now, back through the arch in the city wall, over Queen Street bridge, then to the higher level of the walls walk.

Arch in city walls, with Queen Street bridge beyond

… And here’s how it looks once you’re up on the city walls, near the corner after Micklegate Bar, looking towards Lendal Bridge and the Minster. Or, more precisely, how it looked in bright sunlight, on an evening in early May.

Hudson Quarter from walls

As before, there’s a gap between Hudson Quarter and its (also quite modern) neighbouring building. In the photo below we’re looking over to the street known as Toft Green, and the blue signs on the front of Transit Motorcycles, and again the change in levels is clear.

Looking across to Toft Green, Hudson Quarter on the left

A little further along, at the end of the Hudson Quarter development, there’s still an important ‘gap’/view, which I’m glad hasn’t been lost as this area has been redeveloped. Behind the more recent buildings we can still see the older ones, on part of Micklegate, including Holy Trinity church, shining on the horizon, as these historic churches do.

Through to Micklegate – with Holy Trinity church visible

(Whereas the hotel building to the left … particularly baffled by the grey part. Even in the beautiful light of a May evening it looks odd/ugly? Whatever light I’ve seen it in, and from whatever perspective I’ve seen it from, it’s looked wrong in this setting, to me.)

I’ve been looking at some comparison views, the old Hudson House (demolished) and Hudson Quarter, replacing it. These can be found on this page.

….

As I reconnect again with the charms and changes of this city/my hometown, where everything is connected, and every bit of curiosity and research leads to something else, and one thing leads to another, and more words are gathered together, I’ve really appreciated your virtual coffees, and the kind and thoughtful comments added. Thank you.

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Information board for the new Hudson Quarter, new buildings behind, 25 Jan 2021

Though so many other things have been paused, locked down, construction appears to have continued on the many building sites in and around the city. For this ‘resident’s record of York and its changes’ I’ve been thinking about buildings and building sites that I could do with catching up on, when out for my local stomp about.

One of these, within easy walking distance from my home, is the new ‘Hudson Quarter’, on the site of the now demolished Hudson House. I had a walk up there a couple of days ago.

I knew from media coverage that work on the new buildings had moved on apace, but I wasn’t particularly looking forward to seeing the new development. My expectations were quite low.

After crossing Scarborough Bridge and walking through the side of the station I emerged in what I think is known as Tea Room Square, between the old Station Hotel (as it used to be called) and the station portico. I wanted to see how the new development looked from that angle, and was expecting to see some hideously dominant thing looming over the walls.

By the station – Hudson Quarter development behind the city walls, 25 Jan 2021

But I didn’t think this was too bad. In fact quite like it. At least there’s a bit of variety and interest there, not just a big boring block. I can’t remember if we could see Hudson House from this viewpoint.

I had thought I’d go up onto the bar walls to view it from that vantage point, but then realised that the walls tend to be closed when it’s icy, as had certainly been the case earlier in the day. So I approached it from ground level instead.

Or rather, two ground levels. As previously discussed, the buildings here sit on the site of the old station, and the lines that used to go into it, and they’re in a cutting lower than the roads on either side. The access gate to the lower level was open so I had a quick dash down to have a look.

Through holes cut through the walls in the 19th century for the trains to come in, we can see a bit of 21st century development, the ‘Hudson Quarter’, in the glow of the late afternoon sun.

Sunset glow on Hudson Quarter and the city walls

After retracing my steps and crossing Queen Street bridge, I headed for Micklegate Bar and Bar Lane, rounded the corner into Toft Green, to be greeted by the new Hudson Quarter buildings. New brick alongside old.

From the corner of Bar Lane and Toft Green

I thought this view was quite pleasing, down Toft Green. Or rather, the top bit of it. Still not fond of the grey hotel further down.

The new Hudson Quarter buildings, Toft Green

Just wondering if I can find in my files an old view of the street, for a ‘before and after’, to compare with the above … Yes, here we are:

Hudson House from Toft Green, July 2018

So, just a quick update. More later perhaps, perhaps with a view from the bar walls.

I’ve written a lot about the old Hudson House in recent years. About its history and its demolition.

. . . . .

Despite the lockdown, or perhaps because of it, I’m doing my best to put more time into this ‘resident’s record of York and its changes’. If you would like to support this long-running series of musings and ramblings, fact-filled long-winded bits and thoughtful things, and help pay its hosting costs, virtual coffees are always appreciated.

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