Address: 44 Piccadilly, York, YO1 9NX (the building has since been knocked down)
Description
Formerly adorning a now-demolished building, one of York’s most famous ghost signs spanned the building’s entire width.
It featured ‘Foxton’s Garage LTD Morris Cars Sales & Service’ in green text against a bright yellow background, framed by a thin green border.
History
Foxton’s Garage was a notable fixture in Piccadilly during the 1930s, offering a comprehensive automotive service.
It had a fully equipped garage for repairs and a showroom that featured the latest car models, with BMC cars being particularly sought after during that era.
The garage also operated a branch on Leeman Road until 1992.
1939 Source: Explore York Archive Asset ID: 1000226
The above photo shows that the Foxton’s Garage ghost sign has been painted over multiple times. In 1939, the sign read “Saloon Buses for Pleasure Parties”, under the large “Foxton’s Garage” at the top.
However, in 2020 the sign instead read “LTD Morris Cars Sales & Services” (which you can see from the image at the top of this page).
1939 Source: Explore York Archive Asset ID: 1000227
Interestingly, where ‘Garage’ is written diagonally in the above photo, it now reads ‘Trident‘ – another ghost sign still in York today.
The ghost sign for Foxton’s Garage was revealed following the demolition of adjacent buildings, including an NCP car park on Piccadilly.
However, in 2020, construction next to the site of the Foxton’s sign dramatically reduced its visibility, “leaving only a narrow gap through which the sign was visible.
2020
Despite efforts to preserve this piece of local history, the campaign was unsuccessful.
In 2021, the area underwent further development, and the site where the ghost sign stood was cleared to make way for a new Marriott hotel.
Plans for the hotel construction, which led to the demolition of the ghost sign, can be seen in the accompanying image. This marked the end of a visible reminder of the area’s automotive past.
The plans for the new building
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