Pocklington Streets

Chapmangate and Hungate were probably the first streets in Pocklington, gate or ‘gata’ indicating their Scandinavian origin. ‘Chapman’ – merchant, may indicate that Chapmangate was the first market area of Pocklington. Initially it probably ran only from George Street to Smithy Hill.

George Street - formerly known as Hungate, which is derived from the Old Norse ‘hundr’ – dog or hound. It was still Hungate in1824, in 1830 it was called Great George Street (probably to distinguish it from George Street, formerly Finkle Street, but soon to become Regent Street) but by 1855 it was simply George Street. It originally ran from Barmby Road to the junction with Chapmangate, where it became Tute Hill.

Brass Castle Hill - first mentioned in a directory of 1823. Derivation obscure!
In some early directories there was a 'Brass Castle Island'. The beck split into two above London bridge and flowed in two channels through Market Street and Union Street thus creating an 'island'. There are examples elsewhere of the term 'Brass Castle' being a slang phrase for the house of the (wealthy) Mill Owner.

Deans Lane - mentioned in a lease of 1706. It was in an area then owned by the Dean of York.

Garths End - shown as Garths End Road in 1856. Created by the Enclosure Award in 1759 but could be on the line of an older track running between the open fields and the old enclosures or garths.

Grape Lane – after the beck was diverted round the south side of Tute Hill in the thirteenth century, a track alongside it eventually became Grape Lane. This section of the beck was covered over in the early twentieth century. The street of that name in York was said to derive “from Old English grapian, ‘to grope’, and Middle English c**t and ‘lane’ and may be a reference to the bawdy reputation of a dark and secluded alley.”
The houses in Grape Lane were cleared in 1938 according to a reference in Beverley Archives.

Kirkland Street - in 1844 Kirkland Lane ran from behind the Royal Oak in George Street, forming the back lane behind Chapmangate, and then turned North West to Garths End. By 1892 it was called Kirkland Street. After the building of the County Primary School in 1908, it was extended to The Mile and the part leading to Garths End became known as School Lane. The name Kirkland presumably indicates that the lane ran beside church lands.

London Street  - probably originally Londoners Street and ran from Swine Market to St. Helens Gate. The south western part became Union Street between 1802 and 1823. The north eastern section was included in St Helens Gate in the valuation of 1838 but was called London Street in 1844. Perhaps the place where the merchants from London set up their stalls at fair time.

Market Place - the first market place was probably the eastern end of the present market place. Then the area to the south of the church was laid out with burgage plots on the southern side.

Market Street - This area was called Swine Market in 1767, although in 1685 a dwelling on the opposite side from the Feathers Hotel was described as ‘near the Market Place’. After about 1871 the name Swine Market was dropped in favour of Market Street.

New Street – in 1828 described as Back Lane, in 1844 and 1855 the road between Regent Street and Dean’s Lane was called New Street and the part between Dean’s Lane and Burnby Lane was called South End, but by 1879 it was also included in New Street.

Pavement - in 1663 described as Puddingate (soft sticky land) leading from Pocklington Beck along the south of the church to the Market Place. In 1794 it was called New Pavement.

Railway Street - probably originally part of West Green, by 1844 it was called Finkle Street, perhaps because the original Finkle Street (later Regent Street) came round the corner into West Green. It was still called Finkle Street on the OS Map of 1851 but by 1855 it had become Railway Street.

Regent Street - in 1776 it was known as Finkle Street, in 1823 and 1824 as George Street but by 1830 it was Regent Street.

Richmond Terrace - The row of houses in Victoria Road used to be called Richmond Terrace and the name seems to have fallen from use after the war.

Smithy Hill - was at the junction on Chapmangate and the Market Place. Latterly it was restricted to a group of three houses on an island site. It is referred to in a document of 1669 and then covered the northern part of Swine Market. In 1823 the Cross Keys was described as being in Smithy Hill. According to a reference in Beverley Archives, Smithy Hill was demolished in 1914. See Map

The Balk - created by the Enclosure Award of 1759, probably in part on the line of an existing balk (an unploughed strip running between cultivated strips) in Southmoor Field.

The Mile - mentioned in the Enclosure Award of 1759 as an existing road running between Beckland Field and Middle Field, from the junction with Garths End to the parish boundary, a distance of one mile. It now includes the road between Garths End and London Bridge.

Tute Hill – Old English tot, hyll - ‘look out hill. In 1844 it extended from the junction of George Street and Chapmangate to the beck, including an island site now demolished*. By about 1870 it was restricted to the island site. The eastern side was  then included in the Pavement and the western side was included in George Street.
* The Tute Hill property was still present on the 1932 flood photos.

Union Street - in 1802 Londoners Street, by 1823 Union Street See London Street.

Waterloo Buildings - This street, between the Market Place and Waterloo Square, was constructed over a section of the beck running from the Market Place to the churchyard, which was covered over in the early years of the nineteenth century. On the wall of the United Services Club (formerly the Waterloo Hotel) is a stone panel “Waterloo Buildings” but this is the name of the street, not the name of that building.
The street was referred to as Waterloo Buildings in trade directories from 1823 to 1933, other than those in 1845, 1909 and 1913, and in the census from 1841 to 1901, other than the one in 1861. William Watson referred to it as Waterloo Lane in his maps of 1844 and 1855, as did the Ordnance Survey in 1927, and it is now known as Waterloo Lane.

RAB 22 November 2008