Merchant Adventurers’ Hall
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merchantshallyork.org
Merchant Adventurers’ Hall
@merchantshallyork.org
13K followers 450 following 4.5K posts
Discover one of the finest medieval guildhalls in the world. Home to York’s entrepreneurs for 660 years and counting.

Website: merchantshallyork.org
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merchantshallyork.org
Do you come here often? 😙
We are looking at another carved cherub on a walnut chair. Like his fellow cherub he also looks very old with a squished up face.
January 29, 2026 at 6:01 PM
merchantshallyork.org
Why hello there. 😙
We are looking at a close up of a walnut chair showing a cherub who looks like he has worked a very long paper round (he looks to be in his 70s or 80s). He is looking directly at us in what we can only describe as a pilates pose - one knee down and the other stretched outwards.
January 29, 2026 at 10:22 AM
merchantshallyork.org
Good evening!

Our mouse says thank you for all the likes and reposts - she loves you too.

🐁 ❤️
merchantshallyork.org Merchant Adventurers’ Hall @merchantshallyork.org · 1d
Good morning from everyone at the Hall including Robert 'Mouseman' Thompson's mouse.

She's doing very well she says and thanks you for asking.
We are looking at a close up of a small wooden carved mouse on an oak chair. It is climbing up the scroll of the top of a chair and has a long straight tail and finely carved whiskers.
January 28, 2026 at 7:55 PM
merchantshallyork.org
Good morning from everyone at the Hall including Robert 'Mouseman' Thompson's mouse.

She's doing very well she says and thanks you for asking.
We are looking at a close up of a small wooden carved mouse on an oak chair. It is climbing up the scroll of the top of a chair and has a long straight tail and finely carved whiskers.
January 28, 2026 at 11:14 AM
merchantshallyork.org
It was horrible today - rainy, windy, cold. Generally rubbish.

However the upside is that the Undercroft looks like this on a drab day. 👇
We are looking at the Undercroft - a large room with York stone flagged floors and large oak posts which branch out to hold up the ceiling/floor. Muted light comes through the leaded pane windows and the the chapel in the distance.
January 27, 2026 at 6:36 PM
merchantshallyork.org
May we introduce William Wooller - wool merchant, Tudor man about town and a wearer of some serious shoulder pads.

What makes this portrait of William special?

It’s almost certainly painted by a pub sign writer!
We are looking at an oil painting of a middle aged man wearing a black outfit with a large white ruff. He has a beard and receding hairline. He is holding a letter.
January 27, 2026 at 10:16 AM
merchantshallyork.org
Getting wiggy with it.
We are looking at an oil painting of a large gentleman wearing a red velvet coat and white silk cravat. He is of a ruddy complexion. He is wearing a long grey curly wig which is flat on top.
January 26, 2026 at 2:51 PM
Reposted by Merchant Adventurers’ Hall
romanpalace.bsky.social
Morning!
#MosaicMonday
A Roman Mosaic. Trust us. This is a wolf. It may look like Batman after he's fallen asleep at a party and his "mates" have "decorated" him, but it's a wolf.
January 26, 2026 at 9:20 AM
merchantshallyork.org
News!

After a spit* and polish we are open once again!

Join us for history, the most beautiful roof in the world and to top it off...homemade cake!

*Before anyone comes for us we didn't actually spit on the Hall - that is not a technique in the museum cleaning handbook.
We are looking at a section of the Great Hall - a large oak framed roof and fireplace at one end with teal coloured panelling. A series of Georgian sash windows light up patches of the pine floor boards.
January 26, 2026 at 10:00 AM
Reposted by Merchant Adventurers’ Hall
orkneylibrary.bsky.social
Disco Inferno 🔥🔥🔥

#BurnsNight
Three books on display. Burns Encyclopedia, Baby, and the Best of Robert Burns
January 25, 2026 at 4:55 PM
merchantshallyork.org
Check out the window on that. 😘
We are looking at a stone mullioned window with an ogee arch. Some of the stone is new, some is worn and is hundreds of years old. On either side of that are narrow bricks.
January 25, 2026 at 9:04 AM
merchantshallyork.org
This small stone marks York’s historic site of execution known as Tyburn (after the site in London).

The first execution took place on this spot in 1379, the last was in 1801.

Highwayman and murderer, Dick Turpin would be executed here in 1739.
We are looking at a paved area with wooden benches looking out to York Racecourse. The foreground is a moss and lichen stone with the word ‘Tyburn’ carved on the top.
January 24, 2026 at 2:12 PM
merchantshallyork.org
It is Saturday - happy weekend!

Plus (and this is far more exciting) we have snowdrops and aconytes.

Spring is around the corner. ☺️
We are looking at the Hall from the garden. A brick ground floor and a timber framed first floor. In the foreground are snowdrops and aconytes.
January 24, 2026 at 9:06 AM
merchantshallyork.org
National Handwriting Day you say?

Hold our enormous chicken leg.

Here's the signature of everyone's favourite despotic King - yes that's right - Henry VIII.

#NationalHandwritingDay
We are looking at a close up of a coded letter signed by King Henry VIII.
January 23, 2026 at 1:14 PM
merchantshallyork.org
When you want to keep your secret stash of biscuits secure...
We are looking at a slightly battered oak and iron bound chest with a heavy lid and iron handle.
January 22, 2026 at 3:13 PM
merchantshallyork.org
Well done, you’ve made it to Wednesday.

As a treat - have some medieval wall.

Go on, you deserve it. 😘
We are looking at a section of timber framed wall with close studding. In between is the undulating textured yellow ochre plaster.
January 21, 2026 at 7:29 PM
merchantshallyork.org
Want to see something functional yet historic and also a little bit pretty?

Always we hear you cry.

This is part of the common seal of York and depicts a triple towered castle. It was attached to a deed granting land to a Robert Harrison, Merchant Adventurer in 1592.
We are looking at the close up of a wax seal depicting three towers over which there is a larger crenallated tower.
January 21, 2026 at 8:56 AM
merchantshallyork.org
Good life lesson here on not mixing up your porridges…

😳
devilsporridge.bsky.social The Devil's Porridge Museum @devilsporridge.bsky.social · 9d
Hello. We're new here. 👋

Wondering what devil's porridge is? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle coined the phrase to describe the explosive materials he saw munitions workers at H.M. Factory Gretna mixing in large pans. They were making cordite.

Please don't eat devil's porridge. 💥
#DevilsPorridge #WW1history
Two munitions workers mixing cordite in large nitrating pans inside H.M. Factory Gretna. This is a black and white archive photo from the past.
January 20, 2026 at 6:55 PM
merchantshallyork.org
Do you own a medieval Hall?

Do you suffer from pesky door to door salespeople?

Do you wish there was a solution to your doorstep botherers?

Well why not get a tiny window so you can see into the courtyard without opening the door!

From the people who brought you drawbridges!
We are looking at a section of the Great Hall showing a section of the timber frame, the original painted decoration of the Hall and a small narrow rectangular opening. We are looking at close up of a section of the Great Hall showing a section of the timber frame and a small narrow rectangular opening.
January 20, 2026 at 2:16 PM
merchantshallyork.org
This is the only Blue Monday we are interested in thank you very much.
We are looking at a watercolour painting showing Stonegate in York. It is painted in hues of blue to denote twilight. York Minster is in the darkest blues in the distance and then lighter blues for the timber framed and jettied buildings. Lighter yellow picks out the lights in the windows of shops and dwellings.
January 19, 2026 at 8:39 AM
merchantshallyork.org
Although not original, the sash windows in the Great Hall do provide some lovely light even on the darkest dingiest days of winter.

Added to the building in the 1730s - they replaced medieval windows that were half the size and cut through the wall joists to fit them in. 😳
We are looking at a row of wooden sash windows on a bright winter morning. The light streams through them onto the pine and pitch pine floor boards. It’s a moment of stillness and quiet.
January 18, 2026 at 9:10 AM
merchantshallyork.org
Happy weekend!

It’s a grey old Saturday so we are in need of some visual vitamin c.

The lime plaster on the exterior of the Hall is tinted with yellow ochre providing a sunny warm colour. ☀️
We are looking at a close up of a section of the exterior of the Hall. It is a combination of oak frame and close studfing with a bright mustard yellow plaster inbetween. There is a four light million window off centre.
January 17, 2026 at 9:19 AM
merchantshallyork.org
Is it a derpy lion type of day? We are going to say yes.

This birch wood tankard is from Norway - The lion crowned is their national emblem. Made in the 17th or 18th century, tankards of this type were used at celebrations and fittingly guild meetings.

Cheers! Or should that be skaal?! 🍻
We are looking at a close up of a lion on a tankard. He has a very close curly fur mane with an equally curly tail. He is striding with his mouth and eyes wide open in surprise or just general merriment. We are looking at a birch wood tankard with lion feet and a carved lion on the hinged lid.
January 16, 2026 at 9:38 AM
merchantshallyork.org
Tough day? Tough week? Tough 2026?

May the Hall on a sunny day bring you peace. 🧘
We are looking at the Great Hall - a timber framed hall with a vast oak roof. Sun shines through the Georgian sash windows casting puddles of light on the pine floor boards. The Hall is empty but is warm and quiet.
January 15, 2026 at 7:39 PM
merchantshallyork.org
Get out the cake with candles. We have a birthday coming up.

The chapel - build in 1411 is 615 years old this year!

Although much changed from the 15th century, we still use it to this day.
We are looking at a chapel with a large window of five narrow stone mullioned glass windows. The light is shining on the teal box pews and on the oak coloured chapel chairs.
January 15, 2026 at 9:34 AM