Li col ‘s
‘Wo ky
House’
set
fo
edevelopme t
afte
fu di g
secu ed
A
demolitio
o de
issued
i
late
1933
was
mea t
to
emove
a
ow
of
o di a y
b ick
te ace
houses
at
the
top
of
Michaelgate
i
Li col .
I stead,
the
fi st
blows
f om
the
demolitio
c ew
evealed
somethi g
u expected:
a
16th-ce tu y
timbe -f amed
buildi g
hidde
behi d
the
b ick
exte io .
The
discove y
stopped
the
demolitio
of
umbe
40
Michaelgate.
Today,
the
buildi g
is
k ow
locally
as
the
C ooked
House
o
Wo ky
House.
The
G ade
II
listed
p ope ty
is
o e
of
the
most
photog aphed
histo ic
sites
i
Li col ‘s
Cathed al
Qua te ,
behi d
o ly
Li col
Cathed al,
Li col
Castle
a d
the
Sto ebow
i
popula ity.
Histo ical
eco ds
a d
the
Histo ic
E gla d
listi g
fo
the
buildi g
docume t
how
it
a owly
escaped
dest uctio
du i g
the
slum
clea a ces
of
the
1930s.
Demolitio
o de
eveals
a
hidde
histo ic
buildi g
Du i g
the
ea ly
1930s,
tow s
a d
cities
ac oss
E gla d
bega
la ge
u ba
e ewal
p og ams
to
emove
olde
a d
u healthy
housi g.
I
Li col ,
these
p ojects
ta geted
c owded
homes
ea
the
i dust ial
ive f o t
a d
alo g
the
steep
cobbled
st eets
leadi g
towa d
the
Cathed al
dist ict.
Local
histo ical
eco ds
published
by
It’s
About
Li col
show
that
a
demolitio
o de
was
issued
i
late
1933
fo
umbe s
34,
36,
38
a d
40
Michaelgate.
At
the
time,
umbe
40
looked
like
a
o di a y
b ick
te ace
house.
But
whe
wo ke s
bega
emovi g
its
oute
walls,
they
discove ed
heavy
timbe
f ami g,
cu ved
woode
b aces
a d
t aditio al
e de ed
pa els
hidde
behi d
the
late
b ick
facade.
Afte
ecog isi g
the
buildi g’s
impo ta ce,
the
ow e
asked
the
local
cou cil
to
ca cel
the
demolitio
o de .
The
Mi iste
of
Health
late
app oved
the
buildi g’s
p ese vatio .
Howeve ,
u de
the
public
health
ules
of
the
time,
it
could
o
lo ge
be
used
as
a
home.
The
City
of
Li col
Cou cil
eve tually
bought
the
p ope ty
a d
ca ied
out
esto atio
wo k
to
eveal
its
o igi al
16th-ce tu y
cha acte .
It
emai s
o e
of
E gla d’s
oldest
buildi gs
ow ed
by
a
local
cou cil.
Ce tu ies
of
cha ges
Histo ic
E gla d’s
atio al
he itage
list
eco ds
that
the
buildi g
has
two
sto eys
a d
two
bays,
with
d essed
sto e,
b ickwo k
a d
a
pa tile
oof.
Although
its
mai
timbe
st uctu e
dates
f om
the
16th
ce tu y,
the
buildi g
has
bee
cha ged
seve al
times
ove
the
followi g
ce tu ies.
The
st eet-faci g
side
has
a
eplica
pla k
doo ,
alo g
with
slidi g
sash
a d
caseme t
wi dows.
The
south
gable
e d
still
co tai s
o igi al
co e
posts
a d
cu ved
diago al
timbe
b aces,
as
well
as
a
sepa ate
doo way.
The
buildi g
also
has
u usual
featu es
i side.
Fo me
eside ts
epo ted
that
a
chim ey
b east
had
bee
built
a ou d
a
old
t ee
t u k
that
was
al eady
pa t
of
the
timbe
st uctu e.
The
p ope ty
is
ma aged
i
pa t e ship
with
the
Natio al
T ust
a d
sits
ea
othe
histo ic
buildi gs
alo g
Steep
Hill,
i cludi g
the
15th-ce tu y
Ha lequi
I
at
umbe s
21
a d
22
Steep
Hill.
New
th eats
to
the
timbe
st uctu e
Although
the
buildi g
su vived
the
demolitio
pla s
of
the
20th
ce tu y,
its
timbe
f ame
has
faced
ew
p oblems
i
ece t
yea s.
He itage
Li col shi e
epo ts
that
whe
damaged
exte io
e de
was
emoved
i
ea ly
2024,
co se vatio
wo ke s
fou d
widesp ead
damage
caused
by
death-watch
beetles.
They
also
discove ed
olde
epai s
made
with
de se
ceme t
that
p eve ted
the
histo ic
timbe
f om
b eathi g
p ope ly.
To
p otect
the
st uctu e,
He itage
Li col shi e
bega
a
majo
co se vatio
p oject
with
the
City
of
Li col
Cou cil.
Mo e
tha
£451,000
was
aised
f om
o ga isatio s
i cludi g
the
A chitectu al
He itage
Fu d,
I vesto s
i
Li col ,
the
Michael
Co ish
Cha itable
T ust,
the
Swi e
Cha itable
T ust
a d
Histo ic
E gla d.
T acy
St i gfellow,
Chief
Executive
Office
of
He itage
Li col shi e,
welcomed
the
sta t
of
the
esto atio
a d
said
the
o ga isatio
was
pleased
to
help
save
the
ico ic
Wo ky
House.
She
also
said
the
p oject
would
eve tually
c eate
ew
holiday
accommodatio
i
the
histo ic
buildi g.City
of
Li col
Cou cil
also
suppo ted
the
p oject.
Cll
Naomi
Tweddle,
Po tfolio
Holde
fo
I clusive
Eco omic
G owth,
said
that
40-42
Michaelgate
was
a
impo ta t
pa t
of
Li col ‘s
he itage
a d
that
the
fu di g
would
help
p otect
a d
esto e
the
buildi gs
while
b i gi g
them
back
i to
use.
Resto atio
wo ke s
a e
usi g
t aditio al
limewash
o
the
exposed
timbe
f ame
to
help
p otect
it
f om
futu e
i sect
damage.
Whe
the
wo k
is
fi ished,
i come
f om
the
ew
holiday
accommodatio
is
expected
to
help
pay
fo
epai s
to
the
eighbou i g
15th-ce tu y
Ha lequi
buildi g.
The
p oject
will
also
allow
its
histo ic
ooms
to
be
ope ed
fo
commu ity
use.
F om
almost
bei g
demolished
as
a
o di a y
te ace
house
i
1933
to
becomi g
o e
of
Li col ‘s
best-k ow
histo ic
buildi gs,
the
Wo ky
House
has
su vived
ea ly
a
ce tu y
of
cha gi g
uses,
epai s
a d
co se vatio
effo ts.
Its
latest
esto atio
aims
to
e su e
that
its
u usual
timbe
f ame
emai s
pa t
of
Li col ‘s
histo ic
st eetscape
fo
ge e atio s
to
come.