Barley Hall
📍 2 Coffee Yard, York YO1 8AR, UK
About Barley Hall
Description
We have made sure that all our visitors can enjoy a safe visit, while still experiencing everything that Barley Hall has to offer.
We have new procedures for social distancing, hygiene, and visitor interaction, and visitors will need to pre-book online or by calling 01904 615505. Please note that our opening hours may vary - check www.barleyhall.co.uk for the most up to date details.
Please check here for prices.
Barley Hall is a stunning medieval townhouse, once home to the Priors of Nostell and a Lord Mayor of York. Until the 1980s the house was hidden under the relatively modern façade of a derelict office block. Only when the building was going to be destroyed was the amazing medieval building discovered and its history revealed.
The building has now been lovingly restored to its original splendour with stunning high ceilings, beautiful exposed timber frames, and possibly the only horn window in England. It has been decorated to replicate what it would have looked like as the Snawsell home around 1483 and boasts a magnificent Great Hall.
Explore the history of York through the drama of Shakespeare at a brand new exhibition, Bard at Barley Hall. Discover costumes from popular plays, including Romeo and Juliet and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, dress up and perform your own scenes on the interactive stage, and even stage your own shadow puppet performances of Hamlet and MacBeth!
Please note that Barley Hall is an historic building and features uneven floors, narrow stairs and steps between rooms. Facilities such as accessible toilets and a lift are unavailable due to the nature of the building.
Opening Hours
| Sun | 10:00 | 16:00 |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | 10:00 | 16:00 |
| Tue | 10:00 | 16:00 |
| Wed | 10:00 | 16:00 |
| Thu | 10:00 | 16:00 |
| Fri | 10:00 | 16:00 |
| Sat | 10:00 | 16:00 |
Location
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📍 2 Coffee Yard, York YO1 8AR, UK
from 936 reviews
Google Reviews
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Showing 5 of 936 reviews from Google Maps.Last updated 6 February 2026.View all on Google →
Been there since I was a kid on school trip and now after 20 years, it is so good to see this place again as it has not changed much plus really good memories to see the pomace again.
Tight. A great historical attraction. Not overwhelming or boring or run of the mill. Barley Hall is a little tricky to find but also well worth the effort. Too bad that coffee shop in Coffee Yard was closed. Several very friendly and helpful people working in Barley Hall also made our visit exceptional. I think my favorite thing was how they found Barley Hall and how they restored it.
Wonderful exhibit, it was like walking through another time. Great that there were toys of yester year which you could read about and actually play. The staff where friendly, welcoming qand approachable and full of knowledge. We were not really sure what we were going to find however, we were very pleased that we did visit Barley Hall
Worth a visit to see all the heritage glory of this hall. You must watch the 8 minute video because it shows lot of the hard work the went into the reconstruction and restoration of the hall. It was built in 1360 and after reused in centuries it was used as a storage by a plumber and about to demolition when they found its history in 1980 and resorted it in its glory.
Fantastic visit, amazing restoration and lots of great displays to look at. Well worth the visit