Plans revealed for empty shop in one of York’s most historic buildings
Plans have gone in to turn one of York’s oldest shop buildings into an artisanal sweet shop.
The team behind The Yorkshire Soap Company, who bought 64 Goodramgate earlier this year, have submitted an application to bring their latest venture to life.
Marcus Doyle and Warren Booth snapped up the property in April. It had previously been marketed for an asking price of £345,000.
[insert.advert]
The front of 64 Goodramgate, part of Lady Row. Photograph: YorkMix
The Grade I listed medieval building forms part of Our Lady’s Row, built in 1316-17, which is widely recognised as one of the oldest surviving rows of urban housing in the country.
It was most recently home to the Owl Adventures attraction before it closed in controversial circumstances, and was previously used as a bridal boutique.
Now, fresh plans reveal that the pair intend to use the site for the preparation and sale of artisanal confectionery.
Proposed opening hours for the sweet shop are set for 9am to 6pm, Monday to Sunday, with potential extensions during major city events such as the Christmas markets and food festivals.
The Yorkshire Soap Company was founded in 2004, starting out from a kitchen table before expanding into a premier regional retail brand known for handcrafted soaps, bath delicacies, and imaginative shop displays.
Marcus and Warren already run several successful independent shops in York, including The Imaginarium on Blake Street and The Society of Alchemists on Shambles, alongside their recent transformation of the Grade I listed Monk Bar.
According to planning documents submitted to City of York Council, the proposed works will follow a conservation-led approach to protect the ancient timber-framed structure.
The changes will be “very light-touch” and reversible. Plans include redecorating the exterior doors and modernised 20th-century bay window joinery in a sleek graphite black, while keeping original features like the upper floor timber sash windows untouched.
Photograph: YorkMix
Inside, the existing vinyl and carpet flooring will be replaced with engineered oak boards on the ground floor and fresh vinyl upstairs, fitted using a floating system that avoids any mechanical fixings or adhesives damaging the underlying floorboards.
Bespoke, free-standing retail display counters and shelving units will be installed so they do not attach directly to the historic walls or exposed medieval beams.
A modern under-stairs sink and decorative Venetian door will also be removed to return the area under the staircase to storage, while existing spotlighting routes and rear ventilation points will be reused to avoid creating new holes in the ancient walls.
Planning officers have already given encouraging informal feedback during pre-application advice, indicating that the alterations would have an acceptable impact on the historic building and the wider conservation area.
