St. Leonard’s Place
De Grey Rooms and De Grey House
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The De Grey Rooms and De Grey House were designed and built in 1841-1842 by P. F. Robinson and G. T. Andrews. These highly prestigious and fashionable rooms were primarily constructed to accommodate the annual visit to York of the Yorkshire Hussars regiment. The rooms were also used for concerts, balls, public entertainment and meetings. The rooms were named after the colonel of the regiment – Earl De Grey. The De Grey Rooms were built on St. Leonard’s Place – an affluent area of York. During the 19th century the area around St. Leonard’s Place and Museum Street was a popular place for the wealthy and influential to live. There was uproar in 1859 when the poor-law guardians proposed to build new offices on Museum Street near to St. Leonard’s Place where the newly built De Grey Rooms were situated. The wealthy men and women of York were furious that the poor would congregate around the upper class area of the city spreading disease and lowering the standards of the area. It was argued that the new offices would be better suited near the poorer areas of the city such as Walmgate, Fossgate and Peasholme Green.
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