There can be few places in York for which the phrase ‘Deck the halls with boughs of holly’ are more appropriate, and that is exactly what has happened to the medieval townhouse Barley Hall, as staff prepare for a busy Christmas season.
“Medieval Christmas traditions were very different from those we have today. Bringing an actual tree into the house is a more recent tradition, but that doesn’t mean that medieval households were lacking in colour and fun during the Christmas period,” comments Dr Chris Tuckley, Head of Interpretation & Learning for York Archaeology. “We have decked Barley Hall in seasonal greenery, all of which would have been familiar in medieval York, and which is rich in symbolism. Candles and evergreens are amongst the oldest recorded Christmas decorations, and the colour green features in one of the best-known Christmas tales of medieval times: Gawain and the Green Knight, a story which features in a number of our Christmas additions at the Hall!”
This year, Barley Hall has an extra-special addition – a huge illuminated wreath hung above the Great Hall. Measuring eight feet in diameter, the ring features a host of fragrant fresh foliage and sits under the traditional wooden vaulted ceiling of the impressive dining room. “We don’t know exactly how the 15th-century residents of Barley Hall would have celebrated Christmas and the other key dates during Advent, but we know that this most impressive room in the building would have been the focus, maybe even with a Yule Log burning in its central hearth during a Christmas feast,” adds Chris.
Special hand-held panels have been created sharing medieval legends of the Green Knight and St Nicholas, which visitors can pick up and read in each room. On the first floor, children can play games and enjoy drawing on special lightboxes, with a gallery to display their work.
Visitors in the run-up to Christmas will be able to hear more about the story of the house’s medieval residents, the Snawsell family, in special tours running twice a day. Visitors on the tours will hear, see and even smell the aromas of Christmas past – scents of the 15th century, including cloves, frankincense and beeswax!
Barley Hall is open daily from 10.00am to 3.30pm until 22 December, and from 10am to 4.30pm from 23 December to 5 January (closed 24-26 December). Admission prices are £9.50 for adults, £7.25 for concessions and £5.25 for children, with family tickets also available. Admission includes free return visits for 12 months following the date of entry.
