Hotel re-opens after major refurb

A CITY centre hotel has re-opened its doors following a £2.2m refurbishment.

The Judge’s Lodging hotel in York, recently bought by Daniel Thwaites, closed its doors in January for a major renovation and re-opened last month as the latest addition to the Thwaites Inns of Character collection.

Working with City of York Council, English Heritage and specialist conservation groups, architects Bowman Riley secured consent for selective demolition works to enable the flow of the Grade 1 listed building to be replanned. 

A new main entrance was incorporated, which leads directly into the bar and restaurant. Extensive new dining areas were created and a new commercial kitchen and guest bedrooms.

Specific challenges involved the co-ordination of extensive groundworks to avoid the medieval graveyard beneath the hotel’s garden courtyard and the Roman defences below the external dining area.

Built in 1726 as a private residence, The Judge’s Lodging was the official residence of the Assize Court Judges until the 1970s, when it was converted into a hotel.

John Coultas, director at Bowman Riley Architects, said: “We are proud of our involvement in the stunning transformation of The Judge’s Lodging. It is a unique building with a striking contrast between the new and old, providing York with an appealing and distinctive Grade I listed hotel.”