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BAR CONVENT MUSEUM Located in an elegant Georgian building close to the historic centre of York, the Bar Convent provides a marvellous setting and ambience in which to enjoy our café, take a tour around our museum, hold a conference or business meeting, or have a pleasant and peaceful stay in our guest house.
The Bar Convent Museum outlines the early history of Christianity in the North of England and tells the story of Mary Ward, foundress of a religious congregation formerly known as the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary and now renamed the Congregation of Jesus. She was a pioneer both of women's education and apostolic religious orders for women.
The Historic Building
The present buildings are Georgian, surrounding what was once an open courtyard but is now a spacious entrance hall, The beautiful Chapel, the Great Parlour with its portraits, the library of antique books and the richly endowed archive room all recall the history of the convent and the nuns who made it memorable by their service here.
The Chapel
The neo-classical chapel, completed in 1769 by the York architect Thomas Atkinson, has many features reflecting the penal times in which it was built. Catholic worship was forbidden, so the chapel is placed in the centre of the complex of buildings. Its plain lunette windows reveal nothing, and the dome is hidden from outside view by a pitched roof; eight exits provided escape routes for the congregation in the event of a raid by magistrates and a priest hole offered further safety. The chapel is used daily by the Community; it is always open to visitors and there is a weekly mass to which the general public is warmly invited.
Museum & Convent Tours:
Monday to Friday at 10:30 and 14:30.
Except for Bank Holidays. Closed January, Christmas Day and Easter.
Large groups should phone and book in advance.
Admission to the Museum & the Gallery:
Admission to the Museum, Gallery and Chapel is FREE to all visitors.
Directions: Car parking is available in the pay and display car park in Nunnery Lane, located across the main road outside The Bar Convent. All day charges are £9.50 and £2.00 overnight. Alternatively park at the Askham Bar Park and Ride (adjacent to Tesco on the A1036 south). The bus stops directly opposite the Bar Convent.
For those who arrive by Rail, the station is five minutes walk from here. Turn right out of the station and walk towards the traffic lights. The Bar Convent is across the lights on the corner of Nunnery Lane and Blossom Street.
The Bar Convent is conveniently situated in central York, close to Micklegate. Most tourist attractions, shops and museums as well as the River Ouse are all only a short walk away.
Address:
17 Blossom Street, North Yorkshire,
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