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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

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@merchantshallyork.org

This watercolour was painted by artist, writer, and illustrator Gordon Home and featured in his book, "Yorkshire Vales and Wolds", 1908.

The view below is of Mont St Michel from the Causeway - an illustration from another book, "Normandy" published in 1905.

A sure way to banish the January blues!

We are looking at a watercolour showing a myriad of buildings and crenellated walls towering up into a crescendo of spires and towers.

January 19, 2026 at 8:49 AM

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@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

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@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

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@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

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@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

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@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

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@merchantshallyork.org

Easily done. We're lucky that our seal is attached to a Charter saying it's from Queen Elizabeth I.

We are looking at a large wax seal depicting a young Queen Elizabeth I on horseback.

We are looking at a wax seal depicting Queen Elizabeth I sitting on a throne under a canopy of state. She is holding an orb and sceptre.

January 15, 2026 at 10:08 AM

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@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

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@merchantshallyork.org

The Hall has seen over 243,820 sunrises.

Today’s cold and calm one is up there with the best.

We are looking at the Hall - a timber framed building on a cold crisp January morning. The lawn is touched with first whilst the yellow plaster work of the Hall glows as the sun starts to rise. Lights are on in the Hall as work starts on a new day.

January 14, 2026 at 8:04 AM

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@merchantshallyork.org

Also for your apotropaic / witch mark fans out there:

Check out this little bobby dazzler near the doorway. 👇

We are looking at a close up of a timber post with a small burn mark in a flame shape. There’s also a rather nice brass light switch above.

January 13, 2026 at 12:40 PM

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@merchantshallyork.org

We have been busy today in room in the Hall that you won’t have seen - the office.

Well that sounds boring you say…

…not when it looks like this!

This is the 1601 extension to the Hall and is a timber framed mini masterpiece. Even the vacuum cleaner is wowed by it. 👀

We are looking at a small room with timber and plaster framed walls. A large red vacuum cleaner sits in the middle of the floor.

We are looking at a small room with timber and plaster framed walls. A large red vacuum cleaner sits in the middle of the floor. It has goggly eyes and is wowed by what it sees.

January 13, 2026 at 12:37 PM

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@merchantshallyork.org

It’s that time of year when we all have a clear out of stuff we don’t need.

For those living in the Almshouse in the Hall between 1373 and 1900, you didn’t have that much room for clutter.

This small niche is where all your worldly possessions would have been stored.

We are looking at a stone wall with a small square niche below an inset stone mullion window.

January 12, 2026 at 1:21 PM

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@merchantshallyork.org

IT’S SNOWED!!!

Yes we know it’s now raining but don’t spoil it for us. It snowed!

We don’t have live wintery scenes at the Hall so here’s one we made earlier. 👇

We are looking at the Hall - a timber framed hall and a stone chapel covered in snow.

January 11, 2026 at 9:20 AM

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@merchantshallyork.org

It’s the weekend!

May your Saturday be as amazing as the Great Hall’s roof. 😘

We are looking at the Great Hall’s oak framed roof. It soars majestically upwards.

January 10, 2026 at 9:05 AM

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@merchantshallyork.org

We have wanted to post this for ages but we thought we'd never get to 13,000 friends but look at that - we have!

The Hall when it was built between 1357 and 1361 was built like a giant flat pack - every piece of wood was numbered for ease of assembly.

This particular section is 'IIIX' - 13. 😍

We are looking at a close up section of an oak post incised by a carpenter with the Roman numeral 'IIIX' for '13'.

January 9, 2026 at 9:46 AM

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@merchantshallyork.org

Hello new friends (courtesy of the ever magnanimous @themerl.bsky.social)

We are the Merchant Adventurers' Hall - a medieval guild hall in York.

What we lack in serious museum content we make up for in big roof energy. 👇

We are looking at the Great Hall which is dominated by its huge oak framed roof. The sun is coming through a series of Georgian sash windows casting bright sunshine on the pine and pitch pine floor.

January 8, 2026 at 3:44 PM

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@merchantshallyork.org

Ooh ooh we have a whetstone too!

Ours is medieval. Obvs.

We are looking at a whetstone with a pronounced scored mark where knives have been sharpened.

January 8, 2026 at 1:03 PM

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@merchantshallyork.org

How disappointed must a merchant have been to lose this 600 years ago?

This gold brooch was found during excavations in the garden in 1995. The lettering represents the name Jesus of Nazareth.

Apart from the missing pin (which is probably how it was lost) the brooch is in very good condition!

January 8, 2026 at 11:32 AM

Merchant Adventurers’ Hall

@merchantshallyork.org

We have this board in the Undercroft at the Hall which talks about the dispensary.

From a single room to treating 150 people a day when it moved away from the Hall!