The Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre

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The Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre

UK's oldest living convent, home to the order who opened the first school for girls in the country. To those in the know, it was also hiding an illegal convent.

Since 1686, the goings on at 17 Blossom Street have been York’s best kept secret. A secret that remained hidden for hundreds of years, until its residents gradually became safe enough to reveal it. To the outside world, this house was York’s first school for girls. The English Reformation saw Catholicism made illegal and punishable by death, but this group of determined women built a convent, incl

uding an entire chapel, under the watchful eyes of all of their suspicious neighbours. Today, more than 300 years later, it is the oldest active convent in England. With an exhibition on site which tells our history, special activities for our younger visitors, talks, a café and garden, the Bar Convent is a unique experience for all to enjoy.

03/09/2026

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄? When the Bar Convent was founded in 1686, the role of the Portress was integral to running the house. Stationed where our gift shop stands today, she held the single key to the original entrance.

Her daily job was simple but crucial: answering every knock on Blossom Street, welcoming pupils and guests, and carefully deciding who was allowed inside.

It’s incredible to think that this single piece of 17th-century ironwork survived centuries of change, and you can still see it up close in our exhibition today!

I kinda wish we still had keys like this today, it might make them harder to lose.

02/09/2026

Such a pretty building… but the real reason I am here is to tell you that from the 7-9 September we will be closing our exhibition for some exciting new upgrades to be installed.

Our cafe, guest house, chapel, garden and gift shop will all still be open.

Thanks for your understanding and we look forward to welcoming you back to the exhibition on Thursday 10th September.

29/08/2026

We can’t guarantee your meeting will be as fun as this one but we can guarantee presentation facilities, catering from our award winning cafe, the option to stay in our guest house, and three rooms ideal for different sized groups and you also get discounted entry to our exhibition, a great break from your day of meetings.

All of this AND only a 5 minute walk from York Train Station. If this sounds like the place for you - drop us a message and let’s get your event, meeting or group booked in.

28/08/2026

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄? The circular pattern at the centre of our Victorian floor tiles, in the atrium, marks the exact spot of the house’s original well.

Beneath the tiles lies an earthen floor and, at its centre, the well that once provided fresh water for the house.

This photograph looks like a piece of art - and that’s exactly what these tiles are: a work of art.

The beautiful unique tiles were created by the famous Maw Brothers of Staffordshire, specially for the sisters.

It’s details like these, hidden in plain sight, that make our house so fascinating - there is always another story waiting to be discovered.

25/08/2026

I think we are kind of a chic place!

We don’t often jump on a trend but with this one we couldn’t resist!

20/08/2026

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄? The Bar Convent founders used a brilliant 17th century loophole to survive?

In 1686, running an illegal Catholic convent and secret girls’ school carried immense risk. Single women living together would raise immediate red flags, but widows were legally independent, could own property, and were expected to wear dark clothes and pray quietly. By posing as a household of grieving widows pooling their resources, the sisters created the ultimate undercover disguise - building England’s oldest living convent right in plain sight!

Here are three paintings showing what some of the outfits the sisters would be wearing at the time. At a glance probably not too dissimilar to what you would expect a nun to wear, but look closer and you start to see the big differences.

19/08/2026

Our Medieval Moments continue this week with the St Anne Statue…

Three generations, one 15th-century statue, and a fascinating look into why the Virgin Mary is depicted the same size as a child!

On permanent display in our Treasures Gallery.

17/08/2026

Parents, we see you 😅

The summer holidays: too many snacks eaten to count, listening to “I’m bored” 100 times a day, questionable screen-time negotiations and wondering what day it is.

But fear not… you could bring the whole family for a little change of scenery to the Bar Convent!

Explore our exhibition, grab some food in the café (yes we have a kids menu and colouring in), and when everyone needs a moment of peace, head into the garden.

We’ve even got easels ready and waiting for budding artists to create their very own masterpiece. Because let’s face it, anything that keeps them entertained for 20 minutes counts as a parenting win.

There is still time to come and pay us a visit this summer!

📸 𝐈𝐬𝐚𝐚𝐜 | 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫 | 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤, 𝐔𝐊 and Greg McGee

Little Vikings - York for kids York Mumbler 💜 York for Families

14/08/2026

We have been working hard to improve our online shop offering and I am very happy to say it’s coming along nicely… still more to come!

But if you are a more in person kinda… person… then make sure you pop into the gift shop when you visit us.

Address

17 Blossom Street
York
YO241AQ

Telephone

+441904643238

Website

http://linktr.ee/barconvent

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