The Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre

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.

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.

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄? The convent was opened in November 1686 by an order of religious sisters which had been founded in 1609 by...
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.

28/05/2026

As we run up to the York Mystery plays and the Journey to Calvary that will be performed here at the Bar Convent on the 4th July, we are going to take a deep dive into our medieval special treasures collection.

It would be a crime not to start with the Arma Christi, not only is the Journey to Calvary based on it, this is a truly incredible discovery and one of only 11 in the world!

Here is Dr Hannah Thomas to tell you a little bit about it…

We’ll admit it - the Bar Convent is a pretty unique, niche piece of York’s history. But "niche" doesn't mean boring or n...
27/05/2026

We’ll admit it - the Bar Convent is a pretty unique, niche piece of York’s history. But "niche" doesn't mean boring or not for families.

If you are looking for a half-term activity that skips the massive, noisy crowds but still keeps curious young minds completely gripped, our exhibition is a hidden gem.

We’ve designed family activities right into our displays, letting kids connect directly with history. They can take part in our Colour at the Convent competition, handle historic-style puzzles, dress up, and even climb inside a mock priest hole to see what it was really like to hide out in secret.

Our café also offers a fabulous kids menu… just saying.

The Gunpowder Plot: York’s Untold StoryContext. Conspiracy. Consequence.Experience a unique retelling of one of the most...
26/05/2026

The Gunpowder Plot: York’s Untold Story

Context. Conspiracy. Consequence.

Experience a unique retelling of one of the most dramatic events in British history- in the city where it all began.

Set against the turbulent backdrop of post- reformation York, a new compelling exhibition takes visitors beyond the legend of Guy Fawkes to explore the events surrounding 5th November 1605.

Add it to your diaries and get your tickets booked!

💥 16 September- 05 December

You might have heard the term, but what actually is Whit Sunday?Falling exactly 50 days after Easter it is the tradition...
24/05/2026

You might have heard the term, but what actually is Whit Sunday?

Falling exactly 50 days after Easter it is the traditional English name for Pentecost- the major festival marking the “birthday of the church”.

The name itself is a historical shortcut for “White Sunday” hundreds of years ago. We love an abbreviation don’t we!

This was the most popular day of the year for summer baptisms, churches would be filled with people dressed entirely in white robes. It evolved into a massive seasonal holiday across the UK famous for family feasts, parish fairs and the beloved northern tradition of buying brand-new “Whitsun clothes”.

To everyone in our community and all celebrating across York and beyond this weekend, we hope you have a wonderful peaceful day!

22/05/2026

Colour at the Convent begins tomorrow!

Bring your kids, grandkids or big kids - from the 23rd - 30th May you can take part in our little competition which invites people of all ages to come along to our exhibition and draw.

This mindful museum experience is all about slowing down and taking inspiration from the treasures we have on display and the stories our exhibition tells.

Up for grabs is a £20 voucher from our cafe and see your art on show! [Insert applause sound here].

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄? This is the Middleton Vestment, an amazing example of medieval embroidery from our collection. It dates al...
21/05/2026

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄? This is the Middleton Vestment, an amazing example of medieval embroidery from our collection. It dates all the way back to the 15th century, but the real mystery is how it survived to see the 21st century.

During the Reformation, beautiful medieval vestments like this became illegal overnight. Many were burned or destroyed for their valuable gold threads.

To save it, the Middleton family of Ilkley risked everything to hide this fabric away for generations. Eventually, they entrusted it to the safety of our sisters.

When you look closely at the intricate stitching in our exhibition today, you aren’t just looking at museum fabric. You are looking at a brilliant piece of medieval art that survived against all odds.

We know, we know - we don’t usually talk about the Guest House over here! 🤫Since it has its own dedicated page, we usual...
18/05/2026

We know, we know - we don’t usually talk about the Guest House over here! 🤫

Since it has its own dedicated page, we usually keep this side of our world separate. But, after seeing our latest 9.6/10 rating on Booking.com, we couldn't help but share a little bit of the magic happening right inside our walls.

From the peaceful garden to being a literal stone's throw from the City Walls, there’s a reason people call us York’s best-kept secret, I mean I think that's what people say... I know we do!

Excuse me whilst I just go book a staycation!

www.barconvent.co.uk

With just a week to go until half term, we are looking forward to welcoming families to our house, but this half term we...
16/05/2026

With just a week to go until half term, we are looking forward to welcoming families to our house, but this half term we are also looking for budding artists to take inspiration from the craftsmanship and intricate detail within the collections on display to create your own artwork.

This mindful museum experience invites all ages and abilities to find an object that captures the imagination and draw.

Enter your drawing into a competition for the chance to win a £20 voucher for the café and the opportunity to have your work displayed in the exhibition.

Included in admission to the exhibition.
10am-5pm (last admission 4pm), closed Sundays.

📷 - Greg McGee

Address

17 Blossom Street
York
YO241AQ

Telephone

+441904643238

Website

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