ABOUT MUSEUM STREET TAVERN

A 300-Year History: The Story of the Museum Street Tavern

The building on Museum Street in York, currently home to the Museum Street Tavern, stands as a living document, chronicling over three centuries of the city's hospitality, commerce, and architectural evolution. From a sprawling coaching inn with stables for 200 horses to a Victorian hotel and a modern bistro, its walls have witnessed significant change.

The Early Days: Coaching Inns (c. 1700 – 1803)

The story begins around 1700 with the construction of the building, first known as Gibson's Hotel. Kept by George Gibson, its stables were reportedly located in the nearby Mint Yard and were vast enough to accommodate 200 horses, a testament to its importance in the coaching trade.

By 1767, the inn had passed to William Bluitt, becoming Bluitt's Inn. It was during this period, shortly after Bluitt took over, that the inn hosted a royal guest: Christian IV, King of Denmark.

In 1785, the name changed again to Ringrose's Hotel. John Ringrose, who had been a waiter at the inn for 12 years under Bluitt, succeeded him as the hotelier, continuing its legacy as a prominent coaching house.

The Royal Hotel Era (1803 – 1858)

A new chapter began in 1803 when Thomas Ettridge took over from John Ringrose. He renamed the establishment Ettridge's Royal Hotel, a name it would hold for over half a century. Contemporary accounts from 1818 described it as "a first-rate and excellent inn, admirably conducted and frequented by some of the principal families in the country."

The building itself was physically altered during this time, being heightened from two to three storeys in the 1820s. However, the hotel's fortunes eventually waned. Following the death of Thomas Ettridge on December 1, 1855, at the age of 83, the hotel was unsuccessfully offered for sale in 1854. By 1856, the hotel's furniture was sold off, marking the end of an era.

The Thomas's Hotel Dynasty (1858 – 1979)

In 1858, the site was purchased by William Thomas, an experienced hotelier who saw its potential. He began construction of a new hotel on the site, demolishing parts of the old Ettridge's Royal Hotel. This new, rebuilt establishment, completed by 1861, was named Thomas's Hotel.

This Victorian incarnation of the building is largely what visitors still see today. The 1860s alterations included a new façade on Museum Street, along with interior fittings like fireplaces and ornate plasterwork. The building's wide doorway, surrounded by late-19th-century stained glass and a colourful design in the tympanum above bearing the name "Thomas's Hotel," is a direct link to this period.

In 1877, the hotel was sold to Thomas Lightfoot, a brewer from Bedale, but it retained its established name. Its reputation continued, and in 1900, it was purchased by the John Smith & Co. brewery. A 1902 inventory details a substantial operation:

• Upstairs: Eight bedrooms, a drawing room, and a coffee room.

• Ground Floor: A smoke room, a billiard room, a second drawing room, and the main bar.

• Basement: A cellar and two cellar kitchens.

• Service: Customers were served through a small window in a side passage, a fascinating quirk of the building's layout.

This iteration as Thomas's Hotel lasted well into the 20th century, and the building was granted Grade II listed status in 1978 in recognition of its historical and architectural importance.

Modern Reinventions (1979 – Present)

By 1979, the business adapted to changing tastes, becoming Thomas's Wine Bar & Bistro, a popular spot in the city for decades. After a period under different names, including a conversion to a cocktail bar, the establishment's deep connection to its location was restored. In 2023, it reopened its doors as the Museum Street Tavern, once again welcoming patrons and adding a new page to its long and storied history.