An ancient lane, off Goodramgate, leading to Bedern Chapel and Hall and, via Bartle Garth, to St Saviourgate. A bridge, now destroyed, would have connected Bedern to the Minster precinct.
The word ‘bedern’, meaning college or house of prayer, is Anglo-Saxon. The street name derives from Bedern Hall.
Bedern Folklore:
In the 19th century this area of York was a slum. An unscrupulous character by the name of Pimm ran a school and workhouse here for poor and orphaned children. He neglected their needs so badly that they died in large numbers. Pimm buried a few but stored others in cupboards within his school. But the restless dead children haunted Pimm, and drove him to drink and madness. The children can still be seen and heard today; their shadows have been seen on walls, invisible hands and breath felt, giggles and screaming heard.
9
No comments