Guy Fawkes Inn reveals plans to expand in High Petergate

As previously reported in The Press, The Guy Fawkes Inn at 25 High Petergate has ambitions to take over the empty office building next door at 23 High Petergate, formerly an estate agents.

The inn's owners are submitting a planning application to the City of York Council for change of use of number 23 to turn it into a hotel.

Under the scheme, change of use permission is also being sought for the vacant Masonic Yard next to the properties to form a formal landscaped sitting-out area.

External and internal changes to the Guy Fawkes Inn and the cottage at ground floor level are also included in the proposal.

The proposed outdoor seating area. Image: Planning documents (Image: supplied)

If approved, the four-star Guy Fawkes Inn which currently has 13 en-suite bedrooms could become a substantially larger hotel.

Plans are now before the City of York Council for the scheme (ref: 23/00631/LBC).

The proposals can be broken down into three parts:

1. 23 High Petergate: Proposals consist of adapting the now disused Grade-I listed building (originally an 18th-century town house, but more recently functioning as an estate agents' office) into part of the Guy Fawkes Inn hotel.

23 High Petergate

2. 25 High Petergate, the Guy Fawkes Inn: Proposals consist of adapting two ground floor hotel rooms into additional upgraded and accessible toilet facilities that would serve the inn and the proposed converted Masonic Hall Yard (as well as provide new circulation and access routes between the inn and yard). These works would also provide additional storage space for the existing kitchen.

3. Masonic Hall Yard: To adapt the disused yard into an activated landscaped sitting out area (containing hard landscaping and soft landscaping) that would connect and function as part of Guy Fawkes Inn.

Plans for the Masonic Yard

In the Design and Access statement to planners, the developers say: "Overall, these proposals seek to present a holistic approach to upgrading all of the properties, whilst enacting repair, reinstatement and sensitive fabric improvements, in order to support the viability of the collection of buildings as a hospitality premises."

Currently, the Inn, at 25 High Petergate is grade II-listed and was formerly a handsome terraced town house in the shadow of York Minster.

The proposed outdoor seating area. Image: Planning documents (Image: supplied)

While the hotel claims that Guy Fawkes was born on the site the York Civic Trust argues that he was born on nearby Stonegate.

Fawkes is arguably the most famous person ever born in York. Also known as Guido he was involved in the failed gunpowder plot to blow up the Houses of Parliament on November 5 1605. He was sentenced to be hanged, drawn and quartered and his story is the reason we hold Bonfire Night every November the 5th in Britain.