The plaque marks one of the most important confectionery factories in Britain. The Cocoa Works helped make York internationally synonymous with chocolate production, manufacturing well-known brands including KitKat, Smarties, Aero and Milkybar.

The plaque’s design takes inspiration from historic Rowntree packaging, notably the distinctive blue wartime “KitKat” wrapper introduced during the Second World War when milk was rationed and a new recipe had to be devised. KitKats were exclusively produced in this factory in York until the 1970s. The plaque’s blue colour reflects this historic moment, while keeping to the established tradition of York Civic Trust’s plaques being blue.

The Haxby Road factory employed more than 6,000 people by 1920. It was notable not only for its scale and output, but for its pioneering approach to industrial welfare and innovation in food production. It incorporated dining halls, medical facilities, education spaces and recreational amenities – reflecting a broader commitment to employee wellbeing.

Duncan Marks, Heritage and Planning Manager at York Civic Trust, said: “York’s identity as a city of chocolate was shaped here, and through Nestlé it remains an international brand. The Rowntree factory combined industrial innovation with a progressive approach to worker welfare, with influence felt nationwide. This plaque ensures that contribution is properly recognised and remains part of York’s story.”

Nestlé continues to produce chocolate in York, but the factory building closed in 2006 and has recently been redeveloped by Latimer, the development arm of Clarion Housing Group, into an £80 million residential scheme. The Cocoa Works now provides 279 apartments, 30 per cent of which are affordable homes, bringing new use to one of York’s most significant industrial sites.

The plaque forms part of York Civic Trust’s programme to recognise places that have shaped the city and its wider national story. In its 80th year, the Trust is highlighting sites that contributed to Britain’s industrial, social and cultural development.

Kevin Shrimpton, York Factory Manager at Nestlé UK and Ireland, said: “The Cocoa Works on Haxby Road is part of York’s proud manufacturing history and this plaque is a fitting way to recognise the people, products and values that came from it. It was here that many of Britain’s best-loved chocolate brands were created. The plaque’s KitKat-inspired design connects the past to the present – and we’re proud to continue making millions of KitKat bars every day right next door, keeping York’s chocolate-making tradition very much alive.”

Michael Briffett, Regional Managing Director at Clarion Housing Group, said:

“We’re proud to have brought the Cocoa Works back into use, preserving an important part of York’s heritage while creating much-needed new homes. Through its careful refurbishment, this landmark building continues to reflect the character and history that have shaped the city. This plaque is a fitting tribute to that legacy and to the role Cocoa Works continues to play in York’s story.”

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The Trust has worked closely with the York Central development team since their appointment, holding workshops, discussions and giving advice to help ensure the scheme is the best it can be.

The Phase 1c Reserved Matters planning application represents a major milestone for the £2bn regeneration project on the brownfield site behind York railway station. The application includes plans for nearly 1,000 new homes, a new green park for York, a western entrance to the railway station with a cycle hub and civic square, a 200-bed hotel and one of the UK’s largest new timber buildings.

Given the scale and significance of the application, the Civic Trust drew on expertise from across the city, organising a series of workshops drawing on the expertise of external architects, landscape designers, urban planners, transport specialists and members. Off the back of these meetings, the Trust submitted a detailed 60-page response strongly supporting the proposal.

Image credit: York Central Ltd

The Civic Trust welcomes the provision of public realm that is freely accessible to all, including a large new central park combining nature-rich habitats with community spaces and play areas, a new high street, and innovation in building construction and servicing.

If approved, York Civic Trust will be particularly interested in how the next design stages develop York Central as a new and integrated community within the city. It will also be important to ensure strong connections with the surrounding neighbourhoods. The Trust recommends that local communities are engaged in the ongoing design development of York Central, to create a new neighbourhood and community in York. Such collaborative work is important to ensure that this key opportunity for York meets the needs of existing and new residents.

Andrew Morrison, Chief Executive of York Civic Trust said: “York Central is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the city. It will shape how York grows and how people live, work and travel here for decades to come. We’ve worked closely with the team behind the project and brought together expertise from across York to look carefully at the plans.

We think it is important for the project to achieve a coherent design, that fits with the rest of York’s historic and modern built environment. What makes York so special is how streets such as Micklegate, Bishopthorpe Road and Stonegate have their own distinct feel yet fit together as a coherent whole. York Central ought to reflect the same principle: individual plots and buildings can have their own identity, while having a recognisable York character that feels part of the city, rather than a single uniform development.”

Alongside its support for the application, York Civic Trust has emphasised the importance of delivering consistently high-quality design across the site, ensuring that new housing is well integrated into the wider development and that social and affordable homes are distributed fairly and equitably across the emerging neighbourhoods. The Trust has also developed a comprehensive checklist of outcomes expected from the scheme and will continue to work constructively with the project team to support the delivery of these ambitions, alongside the many positive commitments set out by the developers within this Reserved Matters application.

Now in its 80th year, York Civic Trust is looking to the future and supports the aspirations of the York Central team to deliver a high-quality new neighbourhood for the city.

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This strategy sets out our priorities for the decade ahead, building on landmark achievements from conserving historic buildings and expanding the Blue Plaque programme, to strengthening Fairfax House and investing in the next generation of heritage professionals.

We look forward to working with our Members, partners and communities to shape the city’s next chapter.

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The Snickelways History Trail is the second phase of York BID’s Snickelway Rejuvenation Project, which has already transformed these unique passageways with permanent festoon lighting, deep cleaning, and improved infrastructure.

The new wayfinding panels, created by local design studio Bright White and installed in Coffee Yard, Finkle Street, Lunds Court, Nether Hornpot Lane, Peter Lane, Le Kyrk Lane, and Popes Head Alley, shine a light on York’s medieval history. Stories of lost churches, medieval marketplaces, and the craftspeople who shaped the city are brought vividly to life, inviting people to explore and engage with York’s Snickelways in a new way.

The Snickelways History Trail builds on York BID’s wider programme of public art and placemaking. The Snickelways Rejuvenation Project is part of York BID’s ongoing work to create a safer, cleaner, and more vibrant city centre. With regular deep cleans, new cigarette bins, and a monthly maintenance schedule, the Snickelways will remain as inviting as they are today.

This project was generously funded by grants from the North Yorkshire Police, Fire, and Crime Commissioner, York Safer Business Partnership, and York Civic Trust.

The BID has worked with York Civic Trust and the University of York to research and interpret these Snickelways through a free history trail in:

• Coffee Yard
• Lunds Court
• Finkle Street
• Nether Hornpot Lane
• Peter Lane
• Pope’s Head Alley
• Le Kyrk Lane

Lost Markets

York has a long history as a market city – the snickelways that still connect to St Sampson’s Square once gave access for people and goods moving to and from the market.

Finkle Street was once used as a control passage to move cattle and other livestock out of ‘Thursday Market,’ the weekly market at St Sampson’s Square between the 14th and 19th centuries. It’s had this name since at least the 14th Century and, by the 1750s, was also known as Mucky Pig Lane due to the pigs passing through to Swinegate which held the pig market.

Nether Hornpot Lane was once the street of the Hornworkers and their rubbish pits – hence the close proximity to Thursday Market where cattle were bought and sold. Cattle horns were soaked in a ‘tan pit’ to produce a malleable material, similar to plastic, that was used for crafting things like buttons, combs, and cutlery handles.

Lost Buildings

These three Snickelways once led to the now lost Church of St Peter-the-Little. ‘The Little’ distinguished the Church from York Minster, the city’s other (much larger) Church dedicated to St Peter.

Although no remains of the church stand today, the names of these Snickelways point to its existence: Peter Lane likely got its name from being used as a route to the church and Le Kyrk Lane can be directly translated to ‘the Church Lane,’ while Pope’s Head Alley is also likely to relate to its proximity to the once Catholic church of St Peter-the-Little.

Making the City

These two Snickelways evoke Medieval York through their low, covered entrances and exposed wooden timbers.

Coffee Yard has a rich printing history; from the 1720s, Thomas Gent ran a printing press here, from which he published a weekly newspaper. You might notice the red ‘Printer’s Devil’ on the Stonegate entrance to the snickelway – the symbol of the devil was often associated with printing as the ink blackened worker’s fingers, giving them a demonic appearance!

Lund’s Court was formerly known as Mad Alice Lane – it’s unclear where this snickelway got its name from although there are plenty of rumours that an ‘Alice Smith’ lived here, who was hung for murdering her husband. Although there is no evidence that an ‘Alice Smith’ was executed at York Castle in the 1800s, it is likely ‘Alice’ was a local personality who lived nearby.

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The annual award was introduced in 2022 to honour the owners, curators, and conservators who preserve, restore, and interpret the beautiful and significant objects on show inside historic houses, enabling the public to understand and enjoy them and the stories that they tell. 

Fairfax House is a Georgian townhouse museum in the city of York. It was built between 1759-1763 for the Hon. Ann Fairfax by leading architect John Carr. The house has had many incarnations: as a private residence, Gentleman’s club, Pentecostal church and, in the early 20th century, as a cinema and dancehall. After years of neglect the building was restored to by York Civic Trust and in 1984 opened to the public.  

In 2020 a new curatorial team took over the care and interpretation of Fairfax House and its collections. Whilst there was an established programme of small special interest exhibitions, understanding and interpretation of the house and its collections had changed little in 40 years. Between 2020-2024, they delivered several new exhibitions, which prioritised creative storytelling and utilised more of their collections than ever before: over 450 collection items never previously exhibited were showcased during this period.  

The townhouse museum is home to the nationally significant Noel Terry Collection of eighteenth-century furniture, clocks, paintings and porcelain, alongside objects acquired by York Civic Trust to complement the recreated mid-eighteenth-century interiors and residency of the Fairfax family. Highlights also include the King David Panel by Grinling Gibbons and the John Butler Collection of glass.

Fairfax House came out on top of a competitive shortlist, including Burton Constable Hall & Parkland in Yorkshire, Browsholme Hall in Lancashire, Chawton House in Hampshire, and Scone Palace in Perthshire – all of which were all featured in standalone episodes of the Country House Podcast, hosted by Geoffrey Heath-Taylor, a member of the judging panel. 

Curator at Fairfax House, Dr Sarah Burnage said: “We are deeply honoured to receive this award and thrilled that the creativity and dedication of the Fairfax team has been recognised. This award will make a meaningful contribution to the development of our ongoing work, and we are immensely grateful to the judges, Historic Houses, and Dreweatts for this generous acknowledgement.” 

Will Richards, Chairman of Dreweatts, said: “We are delighted to be giving this year’s award to Fairfax House. The preservation of this wonderful Georgian building housing the highly important Noel Terry collection has enabled access, enjoyment and education for generations thanks to the work that of the York Conservation Trust.” 

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Working with York-based design agency LazenbyBrown, we have refined our original logo. The Trust’s logo was chosen when Trust was founded in 1946 and was inspired by the York assay mark of 1423. An assay mark was a guarantee of quality, stamped on precious metals to confirm their standard. York’s right to use one signified the city’s importance as a centre of trade and craftsmanship in the medieval period. In addition to the historic fleur-de-lis, the new logo more closely resembles the leopard-like face of the original mark. The result is a clearer, more distinctive symbol that will serve the organisation for years to come.

Old logo (1946-2025)

New logo (from 2025)

The brand refresh also introduces a new colour palette and typography with strong ties to York’s history. The headline typeface references the work of Frank Pick, a former pupil of St Peter’s School, York, and later a pioneering figure in British design. Pick was instrumental in commissioning the Johnston typeface for the London Underground.

“The brand refresh is a big step, and one that will help shift perceptions of the Trust. The new logo, colours and typeface, developed with LazenbyBrown, will help us present a clearer, more consistent identity, one that reflects who we are today and ensures the Trust remains relevant and recognisable for years to come.”

Delma Tomlin, Chair, York Civic Trust

“In such changing times for heritage and place branding it’s been a pleasure to assist the York Civic Trust to define and develop an identity that defines and characterises their progressive approach to stewardship of such a remarkable City as York.”

Mat Lazenby, Creative Director, LazenbyBrown

York Civic Trust at 80

The refreshed identity launches as York Civic Trust prepares to mark a major milestone. Founded in 1946, in the aftermath of the Second World War, we have spent eight decades promoting the sensitive conservation of York’s heritage while supporting the city’s growth as a thriving, modern place for residents and visitors. Our legacy includes supporting the foundation of the University of York, campaigning for pedestrianisation of the historic city centre, conserving or reusing twenty-one important historic buildings, and installing hundreds of blue plaques across the city.

In 2025 the Trust will launch ‘Our York’, a three-year programme of events and initiatives that both celebrate the city’s rich history and look ahead to the future. Highlights will include a major refresh of the blue plaques scheme, a new community heritage grants programme, and expanded outreach work to engage more people in shaping York’s story.

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As Patron of the Trust since 1966, the Duchess offered decades of steadfast support and encouragement. She honoured us on many occasions, most notably opening Fairfax House in 1984 and unveiling the plaque in St Helen’s Square in 1989 to commemorate its repaving. 

Her connection to the city was deeply personal, having been born in Yorkshire and married in York Minster. A lifelong advocate for young people, education, and music, she also made a lasting contribution to the region through her dedicated service as a teacher in Hull. As a mark of the region’s affection for her, she was awarded the Freedom of the City in 1988. 

The Trust will remember her with gratitude and respect for her long and loyal patronage. 

The post Statement on the death of our Patron, HRH The Duchess of Kent first appeared on York Civic Trust.

A rare opportunity to visit York’s Grade II-listed courthouse, opened in 1892 and thought to be the first purpose-built magistrates court in Britain. This maze of a building has been adapted through the decades and is in daily use. This architectural visit takes place while the court is open.

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Explore Micklegate’s hidden past, from medieval splendour to industrial change. Starting at the North Eastern Railways War Memorial, discover stories of royalty, rebellion, and transformation that have shaped this ancient route from gate to river.

This walking tour of Micklegate will be led by MA student Emma Knutzen, whose research looks at York’s public and social history. Later in the year, Emma will be recording the talk to be available online , so join us to participate in York Civic Trust’s first fully accessible walking tour.

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Do you wonder what happens in the Magistrates’ Court? This event will help demystify the legal system, explain how guilt or innocence is decided and how sentences are reached. Local magistrates offer a presentation about their work in court –“ sittings” -and invite participation.

Local magistrates Brian Watt JP and Chris Tolley JP will host the presentation in Fairfax House, part of the Magistrates in the Community initiative by the Magistrates Association to open up court processes. Teams of volunteer magistrates across the UK aim to engage with audiences such as schools, colleges, community groups and social groups. The aim is to educate the wider community about the work of their local court.

The event is tailored to suit different audiences, and can involve an interactive mock trial; commonly heard cases in the Court; how verdicts are reached; how sentences are decided, using the now-famous Sentencing Guidelines; how magistrates are appointed; what is their role or the lawyers role; what is topical.

This will be an opportunity to ask questions and to participate.

Castlegate Hub, Fairfax House

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