Beverley resident Neil Pickford is appealing for others to join him in his efforts to give a sound future to one of the town’s most historic buildings in the shadow of Beverley Minster.
Monks Walk in Highgate is one of the oldest timber-framed buildings in England and has a Grade 2* listing. Some of the surviving walls date back to 1270 when half of the minster itself hadn’t even been built.
The Monks Walk has been many things over the centuries, most recently a pub and restaurant, but by the end of last century many of the outbuildings were in a terrible condition.
Present owner Roland Craft spent years negotiating with local authorities, English Heritage and other interested bodies to devise a plan that would give Monks Walk a new and sustainable lease of life, but shortly after getting planning permission and starting work to build 10 new bedrooms on the first and second floors he was taken ill and has been unable to complete the project.
Although the derelict outbuildings have been cleared or repaired the historic Monks Walk itself is now in danger of slipping into ruin, but Neil Pickford is determined to prevent this, if he can.
“It’s an amazing old building,” he said. “It was built as a warehouse while Beverley Minster was only half the size it is today, probably to trade the corn that had been endowed as a gift to St John of Beverley by King Athelstan in the 10th century.
“The town has changed beyond recognition since then and other merchants’ warehouses that once lined Highgate have been replaced, but Monks Walk survived as it was. For 750 years it’s been a commercial building but it needs a new commercially-sound plan to keep this unique piece of Beverley’s, and Yorkshire’s, history safe and available for generations to come.”
Neil, whose wife Gill already runs the highly-regarded Hunter’s Hall Bed & Breakfast in the town, is appealing for investors to join him in buying the freehold and completing the proposed developments to make Monks Walk into a profitable inn, trading on its heritage, location and links to Beverley Minster.
“Roland spent many years developing plans that would preserve and give access to the wonderful heritage of the building,” Neil said: “but just when he was on the point of realising his dream, his health deteriorated badly. I would love to be able to complete the project and bring new life and a glowing future to one of my favourite buildings in Beverley.”
Neil is calling on anyone interested in investing in the future of Monks Walk to initially contact him via neilpickford@outlook.com or telephone 07432 400 282. Invitations to a meeting to discuss building a new future for Monks Walk will be sent out to anyone who applies.
