A Grade 1 listed building and scheduled ancient monument, the Merchant Adventurers Hall was one of the largest buildings of its kind and date in England.
Unusually, the building retails the three rooms that would have served the functions of a medieval guild:
- The Great Hall, for business and social gatherings
- The Undercroft, for charitable activities
- The Chapel, for religious functions
Who were the Merchant Adventurers
Primarily wool merchants, the Medieval Merchant Adventurers of York were traders of goods who ventured further than ordinary entrepreneurs, buying and selling in the Baltic States and even Iceland. After selling their textiles and fibres, they returned to York with exotic goods such as mirrors, seal meat and squirrel fur.The guild still exists today, with a membership of entrepreneurs, teachers, professional and business people. Membership is by patrimony (in other words, passed along in families) and by invitation.
