The Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre

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The Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre

UK's oldest living convent, home to the order who opened the first school for girls in the country. To those in the know, it was also hiding an illegal convent.

Since 1686, the goings on at 17 Blossom Street have been York’s best kept secret. A secret that remained hidden for hundreds of years, until its residents gradually became safe enough to reveal it. To the outside world, this house was York’s first school for girls. The English Reformation saw Catholicism made illegal and punishable by death, but this group of determined women built a convent, incl

uding an entire chapel, under the watchful eyes of all of their suspicious neighbours. Today, more than 300 years later, it is the oldest active convent in England. With an exhibition on site which tells our history, special activities for our younger visitors, talks, a café and garden, the Bar Convent is a unique experience for all to enjoy.

19/06/2026

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄? Before the Shambles was full of tourists, York’s streets were transformed into open-air stages.

During Mystery Play performances, crowds would gather along the city’s narrow streets to watch actors, musicians and elaborate pageant wagons bring biblical stories to life.

The tradition became so important to the people of York that this tradition still continues to this day. On 4th July, we’re proud to host Journey to Calvary in the Bar Convent garden. A performance that links directly to our Arma Christi scroll. Although there will be no wagon for this performance (logistics), we are really looking forward to seeing our garden come to life.

It is free to come along, seating will be very limited, standing for the performance is likely. The play will last approximately 20 minutes.

16/06/2026

We are very excited for the original Arma Christi scroll to be going back on display this month. This will be your last opportunity to see the original medieval scroll this year.

What is so special about the Arma Christi? The Bar Convent Arma Christi is a very rare text, one of only a handful that survive around the world. Even more significantly, it is one of the best-preserved examples ever found and is the only one that features response texts after each verse of the poem.

📆 - 22 June-5 July
📍- The Bar Convent, Blossom Street, York

15/06/2026

Medieval Moments at the Bar Convent

For years we thought this processional cross was a Victorian masterpiece. It turns out, it’s even more impressive! After research in 2013, it turns out this object is medieval and over 500 years old, dating back to the late 1400s.

That means this was crafted back in the days when the York Mystery Plays were first being performed on the medieval streets of York. Today, it is one of around 30 left in the world.

What are you waiting for? Visit our exhibition and experience history where it was made.

12/06/2026

Due to essential maintenance the exhibition will be closed on Monday 15th June and Tuesday 16th June.

Our cafe will still be open.

You may continue scrolling now.

08/06/2026

Let’s take a closer look at the Arma Christi scroll with Dr Hannah Thomas. In this video Hannah is looking at the significance of the pelican.

The Arma Christi will be back on display from the 19th June - don’t miss out on seeing this incredibly rare piece of history.

06/06/2026

We want to take a minute to talk about our fabulous café. The whole team do an incredible job all year round - from a warm welcoming smile to serving the best homemade cakes and scones in York (prove me wrong), and not to mention being able to enjoy your lunch in the fabulous atrium or garden!

We are currently serving a fresh summer menu, with daily specials to compliment that along with a kids menu. Big news - we are now serving gin and Pimms too!

So, show the café team some love - they deserve it!

04/06/2026

Today we celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi, the ultimate medieval summer festival.

But what exactly is Corpus Christi?
Translated from Latin - Corpus Christi means "Body of Christ". In medieval York they didn't just celebrate Corpus Christi inside a church - the entire city transformed into a massive theatre (using wagons) called the York Mystery Plays.

The Mystery Plays are first recorded as being celebrated at the festival of Corpus Christi in York in 1376. A total of 48 plays would be performed across the city. The plays tell stories from the Old and New Testament starting at the Creation and ending at the Last Judgement.

Whilst the celebration of Corpus Christi is celebrated differently across the globe, I think medieval York did it the best.

We are thrilled to be collaborating with the York Mystery Plays this year to offer a FREE play, Journey To Calvary, on 4th July at the Bar Convent Garden.

01/06/2026

In the 1500s, this was radical thinking!

Long before Mary Ward shook the status quo by founding her groundbreaking order, St Thomas More was quietly defying the social norms by educating his daughters equally alongside his sons.

Generations later, his descendants would continue his work and become early members of Mary Ward’s network.

Visit the Bar Convent and experience history where it was made.

29/05/2026

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄? The convent was opened in November 1686 by an order of religious sisters which had been founded in 1609 by Mary Ward (1585-1645), a Yorkshire woman. Today, the order is known as the Congregation of Jesus.

The sisters bought the Bar Convent house for £450, with money that had been given to them by Mary Ward’s friend and supporter, Sir Thomas Gascoigne. The Bar Convent was not only one of England’s earliest schools for girls, but is also the oldest living convent in the country.

£450 in 1686, to put into context, would be worth approximately £107,500.00* today. Which is still kind of crazy because this house is incredible.

*calculated using the measuring worth calculator.

Address

17 Blossom Street
York
YO241AQ

Telephone

+441904643238

Website

http://linktr.ee/barconvent

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