Address: 1 Minster Gates, York, YO1 7HL (now Shared Earth)
Description
On glass panes above two doors, one sign reads “Stationery” and another “Prints”.
The window panes are bordered with elaborate stone carvings on either side.
History
1 Minster Gates is a Grade II listed building in York, dating back to the 15th century, with a façade from 1800.
The street was originally known as Bookland Lane around 1470, later called Bookbinders Alley, due to its historical association with book production and binding.
This was becausethe clergy of the Minster were the primary users and commissioners of books.
The connection to books was further solidified in 1662 when Charles II passed an Act allowing only London, Oxford, Cambridge, and York to publish and license books.
The Minerva statue above the ghost sign
This history is reflected in the carved figure of Minerva, the goddess of learning and wisdom, who reclines with her arm resting on a stack of books at the first-floor level.
In 1819, John Wolstenholme lived at this address and published the first York Gazette.
Although the shop primarily sold books, like many bookshops of the time, it also offered lottery tickets and standard medicinal products.
1879 – The shopfront is visible on the left, and on the right, the remaining ghost sign for Henry Hardcastle can still be seen Source: York Press
The Minerva statue above the shop was carved by Francis Wolstenholme of Gillygate, who was a cousin of the shop owner, John Wolstenholme.
The statue serves as a prominent symbol of the building’s connection to York’s long-standing tradition of literature and knowledge.
1980 – The bookshop is visible on the left Source: York Press
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