Bedern Hall may be a beautiful wedding and conference venue today, but it also has a fascinating past. In this series of Hall Histories, we explore some of the stories of people who dined, worked and lived here over the centuries. Join us as we step back into 15^th century Medieval York…

1400. Singers gather in the centre of the Vicars Choral college off of Goodramgate for their evening meal.

The hall is large with soaring timber beams and high stone walls. A roaring open fire provides much-needed warmth after a day of services in the Minster. Its smoke fills the air and drifts up to the rafters of the hall’s majestic oak roof.

There are three large windows. Each one is uniquely designed with elaborate details and intricate stonework. At the far end of the room is a large vault framing a beautiful bay window. Word has it that this window was constructed by York Minster’s master mason. Let’s hope it impresses the visiting dignitary who is seated at the high table, tucking into a feast.

 

Down at the low table, there’s a tempting smell drifting from the kitchen past the buttery where vats of wine are stocked up ready to quench the singers' thirst. Venison tonight perhaps?

With their Canon away on royal business, the vicars have been leading worship at nearby York Minster. They’re trained singers able to chant full services. With at least eight a day to cover, they’re glad to finally rest over this meal before bed.

 

Conversation revolves around the latest choral chant that they’ve been asked to learn by the Canon. While most of their chants are monotone, this one involves multiple parts on different notes. The vicars must listen to each other in order to stay in tune and impress the congregation. Despite training ever since they began singing as choristers, they still must practice hard in preparation for upcoming religious feast days. They now have over 5,000 chants in their repertoire.

 

After their dinner, the vicars will return to their communal dormitory and settle down in their space shared with around 30 others. Conditions are relatively comfortable for men of their standing and they can even make use of a newly built latrine.

 

Bedern Hall will not always be home to such well-off individuals. But for now, it stands as an important gathering place for some of York’s best-respected residents.

 

 

 

Did you enjoy this blog post? To find out more about Bedern Hall’s history, click here. You can also book a tour around our Medieval refectory or join us for one of our regular community events to see this incredible building for yourself.

 

Beautiful flowers are blooming in the Bedern garden and the smell of hot cross buns is in the air!  Spring is upon us and we have lots of exciting events on our calendar for you to enjoy. From an Easter flower workshop to a new art exhibition, read on to find out more.

 

 

 

 

Easter Flowers Workshop with Afternoon Tea – Friday 12th April, 1 - 3.30pm

 

Just in time for the Easter weekend, we’ll be hosting a fabulous Easter Flowers Workshop at Bedern Hall. This will be led by Katherine Armstrong Bisson, florist at Fleur Amado. Katherine grows her own flowers and foliage here in York and certainly knows a thing or two about putting together a beautiful arrangement. Her flowers have been displayed in the Minster and as part of York in Bloom. In this very special workshop, you can share in her love of floristry and find out how to bring a touch of spring to your home.

Katherine will be demonstrating how to build a stunning arrangement of seasonal blooms, considering colours, textures and composition.  All materials will be provided and you’ll be able to take your floral creation home with you. If you have guests visiting the Easter weekend, this will no-doubt make an impressive centre-piece for your dinner table.

Your ticket will also include a glass of bubbles on arrival and a famous Bedern Hall Afternoon Tea.  Roger’s trademark selection of scones, cakes and sandwiches is the perfect way to make this a special celebration of spring. Why not attend with a friend or book your mum a ticket as a lovely mothers’ day treat?

Click here to book: https://conta.cc/2EPONMY

 

 

 

 

 

Art in the Hall - 'The Garden at No.18' – Friday 26^th April, 6.30 – 8.30pm

 

Bedern’s popular “Art in the Hall” event returns, welcoming Granville Heptonstall to display his latest paintings. Granville received rave reviews when last exhibiting in support of the Bedern Hall Foundation and we’re grateful that he drew many visitors who had never before seen our historical venue.

This time, we’re delighted to display Granville’s summer-inspired collection, “The Garden at No.18”.  Following initial sketches on an iPad, the Yorkshire artist built up colours, patterns and highlights on canvas to eventually create four large paintings. The fifth, Geranium, grew from a collage of magazine scraps!

 

We’re excited to see Granville’s scenes of nature in this exhibition including trees, garden greenery and flowers. The pieces will perfectly compliment the new growth we’re seeing in our own garden at Bedern.

 

After the launch on 26^th April, Granville’s paintings will be on display until summer. The Hall will be open every Thursday. Why not drop in for a coffee and cake as you admire Granville’s paintings in our light and bright hall?

Click here to book: https://conta.cc/2HeelH4

 

Visit Bedern Hall on a spring-time city centre stroll

 As you’re strolling through the city on warmer spring days, remember you can always take a turn down our Goodramgate snicket to discover Bedern Hall for yourself! Many residents of York don’t even know that our 14^th century dining hall is just a stone’s throw from the Minster. Ring the bell and if the hall is open, we’ll be delighted to welcome you in.
Our stunning Medieval building was once where singers at York Minster ate their meals. The hall’s had a rich and varied history since then, and our friendly guides have plenty of stories to share. You can find out more about our history here: http://www.bedernhall.co.uk/history-of-bedern-hall/

If you’d like to book a group visit, we can give you a fascinating tour. We can even include lunch or traditional Sunday roast if you book in advance! We’ve also a quaint courtyard and beautiful little garden for you to explore.

We have plenty more exciting events to look forward to as we move into summer so keep an eye on our “What’s On page here!

For any enquiries please get in touch on 01904 646030.

 We are welcoming in the New Year with our new calendar of events! It’s all set to be a great year here at Bedern Hall.

Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th January – Residents Festival

We will be kicking things off with our participation in the York Residents Festival weekend. This event, organised by Make it York, is a ‘thank you’ to the residents of York for the welcome they give York’s 6.9 million annual visitors and the support shown to the city’s tourism sector. It’s also a valuable opportunity for local people to discover all that’s on their doorstep so that they can recommend your attraction or business to visiting friends and relatives. We will be opening our doors for the weekend and displaying our banners to showcase the development of the Hall over the years and it’s Medieval history! Our café will be open on Saturday serving tea, coffee and cake…and as the Sunday falls on National Chocolate Cake Day, on the Sunday we will be serving up an assortment of chocolatey treats! Find out more about York Residents Festival here. #YorkResFest19

 

Tuesday 12th February - Your Local Lunch

February welcomes back our monthly chance to enjoy fresh local food with friends and family over lunchtime. Sample some of Roger’s finest cooking in the surroundings of the ancient Hall, our team will be on hand to answer any questions about the history of the Hall too! Book here.

 

Thursday 14th February – Valentine’s Evening

For anyone with an ounce of romance left in their souls, we will be hosting our annual Valentine’s event, an enjoyable evening in special surroundings! This is the perfect opportunity for couples to visit the Hall if they are considering it as a wedding venue, or simply to escape the hordes in the restaurants in town. Serving a locally sourced, home-cooked menu, Roger will be on hand creating some delicious dishes for the special day. See the menu and book your table here.

 

Saturday 2nd March - Bedern Bridal Experience

March sees our Wedding Event where there will be fizz and canapes, as well as some local wedding experts including our much-loved local florist. This will be a great evening showcasing the different layouts that can be achieved within the Hall for both wedding ceremonies and receptions. Register your place here.

 

Tuesday 5th March - Bedern Breakfast

Our popular business networking event returns in March where we will be joined by another prestigious business guest, Jamie Linton, founder of Rota Cloud, a cloud based software that we use here at the Hall! Rota Cloud is perfect for businesses that regularly create Rota’s for their team so we would encourage hospitality businesses to attend this event! This event is designed to bring together like-minded business owners from York and Yorkshire, creating a peer-to-peer forum of entrepreneurs and business owners. If you would like to join us please register your interest by emailing us on info@bedernhall.co.uk

 

Tuesday 5th March - Shrove Tuesday

To celebrate Shrove Tuesday we will be hosting a pancake race through Bartle Garth. We would like to invite York businesses to enter a “runner” so please get in touch to get involved!
More information to follow, but please register your interest by emailing us on info@bedernhall.co.uk

 

More events will be announced throughout the year, make sure to keep an eye on our “What’s On” page here or sign up to our Newsletter to be the first to know here.

Weddings have a high expectation of being the best day of many people’s lives, which in turn, can result in producing the most stressful day of many people’s lives. Our team have been helping guide people through this special day for many years, and together have narrowed it down to what we believe are the most important tips to planning your perfect day.

1. Give yourself time

Planning a wedding, no matter how big or small, takes time. Don’t rush the plan, give yourselves time to decide on the details that are the most important for the two of you. (There some great wedding planning diaries and wedding planners out there that can help with this!)

 

2. Help us, to help you

Whoever, wherever is hosting your wedding, let them fully understand what it is that you picture your day to be. This will help everyone achieve the best possible result and make your day as perfect as possible. (Pinterest is a great social media site that enables you to create mood boards for each element of your day to help visualise the look and feel you would like).

 

3. Keep it simple

Just because your next-door neighbour had a horse and cart and an ice sculpture at their wedding, doesn’t mean you must as well. Choose the touches and flourishes that represent you and yours, don’t feel pressured into convention or expectations, be present and enjoy the moment.

 

4. Finish to start, not start to finish

By the end of the day, where do you want to be? Starting from the end and working backwords is a great way of getting the timing of each step right. Even though many people don’t like to have a schedule on their wedding day, it does help the day run as smoothly and stress-free as possible. Your venue and caterers will support you with timings based on previous experience.

 

5. Informal requires informing

Keeping it “informal” requires more planning than you may expect. Informal weddings need to flow well, to achieve this, keep your guests in the know, what time is the ceremony, where is the reception, is there a seating plan, all the questions you would ask, have them answered and easy to find. This will stop people asking you and allow the day to flow much more easily. Appoint people who may be family members, or friends, to help you with the timings on the day.

 

6. Put yourselves first

One of the most difficult things for many people planning a wedding is to stop trying to please everyone, this is YOUR day, they will have theirs and we can guarantee they won’t be thinking of every single guests’ independent needs then, so for now concentrate on the two of you and what you want. Guests will be happy to share your moments with you, especially if you are having the best day of your life and not stressed!

 

7. Celebrate your love

Sharing your day with the ones you love is an important part of your day, even though the choices you make in the lead up to the day are essentially centred around the two of you, make sure the day is spent celebrating with your nearest and dearest. Don’t neglect your guests for hours on end, where possible include them in every stage of the day, sharing will make this day even more special.

 

8. Don’t get bogged down with small details

Of course, detail is important, and making sure your wedding day is as you pictured it would be is a top priority for us, as well as other wedding venues. However, once the ideas have been discussed, don’t become fixated on these small details, the main event is the union of you and the one you love, focus on that and then the small details won’t become a large pressure.

 

9. Be present in every moment

A key tip that we hear all the time from couples is to be present in every moment of the day, soak it all in! Don’t have one too many for Dutch-courage before the event and neglect the truly special moments of this day. This is your day and everyone is there for you, enjoy it, appreciate it and remember it.

 

10. Be thankful

Weddings take patience and planning, everyone involved through the process will have given you something, their time, their shoulder, their contribution, be thankful for every one of them. We often take for granted the very things that deserve our gratitude the most.

 

If you are looking for a unique venue for your special day in York, Bedern Hall offers a breath-taking yet intimate space. Here you can experience a combination of tradition and elegance with all the touches you envisage to make your day truly magical.

 

To find out more about wedding ceremonies and receptions at Bedern Hall please see here where you can request a Wedding Pack and view availability of the Hall for your selected date.

 

We wish you all the success in the world with the planning of your special day and hope to see you in the Hall soon!

 

 

So what's this all about?

Bedern Breakfast bring together like-minded business owners from York and Yorkshire, creating a peer-to-peer forum of Entrepreneurs and Business Owners. Each event will feature a 'guest in the chair' for an interview style presentation, with interviewer Alan Kaye.

 

 

 

Our 'Guest in the Chair’ has so far included some established business names, including, and not limited to, Rob McWilliam, Chief Financial officer for ASDA, Rebecca Thompson, President of the CIOB and Rachel Kay, MD of Green-Tech.

Come along and hear the interview, meet new connections and enjoy a delicious breakfast from our in-house caterer, Roger Lee.

Bedern Breakfasts, like Bedern Hall itself, are run on a 'non-profit' basis with any surplus generated being used to secure good speakers and to support The Bedern Hall Foundation - a fund raising endeavor created to ensure the future of this fine medieval hall.

What's in it for me?

We offer:

• A unique and valuable experience to network with other high caliber individuals.
• A buffet service, full English breakfast plus healthy options also available
• Time at the end of the event for informal meeting
• An introduction to Bedern Hall as a prospective venue for your own events.

 

When and where?

The breakfasts will commence promptly at 7:30am and will finish by 9.15am.

Please note: Doors close at 7.40am to ensure a prompt start to the event.

The venue is Bedern Hall in the centre of York. There is no on-site parking but there are 2 car parks within a few minute’s walk. We suggest the car park on St. John's Street, Off Lord Mayors Walk.   See here for car park location

 

For our next event details, keep an eye on our What’s On page here or get in touch with the team to be added to our mailing list here.