How George Hotel, York, became Leak & Thorp and Next

We found this image of the George Hotel in Coney Street in the City of York Council's online Explore Archives.

George Hotel, Coney Street, York from around 1867 (Image: Supplied)

If planners agree, York will be getting a 64-room aparthotel in the former TK Maxx building. Plans show there will be a Hard Rock Cafe on the ground and basement floors with the aparthotel, run by Room2, above, with an extra storey to be added to the current building.

The site of the former George Hotel in Coney Street

One of our photos today shows a previous hotel that existed in Coney Street. The image dates from 1867 and shows the George Hotel - sometimes referred to as the George Inn - which was located on the river side of Coney Street, where the retailer Next is situated today.

Back in its day, The George was at the heart of a busy and bustling Coney Street. A popular coaching inn, its heyday was in the era of horse-powered transport.

The first London to York coach ran in 1706 - it took an astonishing four days to make the journey!

As one of York's leading coaching inns, The George had its share of famous guests, including the celebrated architect John Vanbrugh, who stayed at the inn while he was designing Castle Howard.

READ MORE: A look back at Front Street in Acomb, York, in the 1950s

The inn's most famous residents, however, were authors Charlotte Bronte and her sister Anne who stayed at The George on the night of May 24/25, 1849.

Although long gone, there is still a trace of the George in York. Walk along Coney Street to where Next is and you will see the opening to its yard is still there. You will also see one of its columns at the edge of that entrance. There’s also a Civic Trust plaque about the George on the building that now occupies the site.

CIvic Trust plaque on Coney Street about the George

So what happened to the George? It was demolished in the mid 1800s and the first Leak and Thorp department store was built on the site. We have some images of that building that we are sharing today.

Leak and Thorp in Coney Street in the 1920s

Leak and Thorpe in the 1980s

Sadly, that department store was destroyed by fire in the 1930s and a new Leak and Thorp store was built to replace it. You can still see that building today, with its distinctive Art Deco appearance - it is now home to Next. Previous to that, some readers will remember Chelsea Girl and Etam occupying the site.

Share your memories of York's long lost places with us on Facebook at Why We Love York - Memories; find us at: www.facebook.com/groups/yorknostalgia/