Changing York - street that brought us beer and chocolate!

NEWS that one of York's best known and loved pubs is changing hands has led us down memory lane.

The Maltings in Tanner's Moat, just off Lendal Bridge, has been a firm favourite with punters for decades, fronted by colourful landlord Shaun Collinge and his wife Maxine for 32 years.

A police officer directing traffic at the junction of Tanner Moat, Lendal Bridge and Railway Street, 1920s. Picture: Explore York Libraries and Archives

But last month, the couple announced they were quitting - having put the pub on the market.

The landmark pub is destined to become an Irish bar, called The Dubliner.

The closure of The Maltings marks the end of an era. Last year, the city’s CAMRA branch voted The Maltings the Cider Pub of the Year for 2023 having named the pub as their 2015 Pub of the Year after the hostelry triumphed in a poll among members.

But the pub long pre-dates the tenure of Shaun and Maxine.

A pub was first established on the site in 1842.

Originally called the Railway Tavern and later The Lendal Bridge Inn, it became The Maltings in 1992 when Shaun's mother-in-law Anita purchased the pub from Bass.

An extension was added in summer 2012.

Our archive photos today take us back through the decades, offering a pictorial look at the area, which is much changed - although we can clearly see the pub building in many of the photos.

Some of the images also show the former Rowntree factory - towering over the site.

Rowntree & Co had moved to Tanner’s Moat by 1864, which had been an old iron foundry, with several cottages and an inn beside the Ouse. The company bought the site for for £1,000.

Henry Isaac Rowntree was the director (until his premature death in 1883) and Joseph Rowntree joined him to develop the business.

The Tanner's moat factory became surplus to requirements after Rowntree's bought much larger premises in Haxby Road in the 1890s.

Billingham's Yard, Sherwwod's Yard and Midgeley Place, c1933. This area was between Tanner Row and North Street. The tall industrial building dominating the rear of the photograph is Rowntree's factory. Picture: Explore York Libraries

However the riverside site has a vital place in the company's history.

In the early days at the Tanner's Moat factory, Henry Isaac developed the famous Rowntree process which is still used in the making of chocolate for Kit Kat, Aero, Yorkie and Smarties, and gives them all their distinctive flavour.

It was also the place where Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles, Fruit Gums and Smarties were all first created.

For more old photos of York, do visit the city council's Explore York archive (images.exploreyork.org.uk).

If you love looking at old photos of York, make sure to buy The Press every Wednesday for our weekly nostalgia supplement and join us in our Facebook group, Why We Love York - Memories. Join us at www.facebook.com/groups/yorknostalgia/.