The Bar Convent Guest House

About The Bar Convent Guest House

The Bar Convent on Blossom Street is the oldest living convent in England, founded in 1686 and still home to a community of the Congregation of Jesus. The Grade I listed building sits just outside Micklegate Bar, the main southern gateway through the city walls, and part of it operates as a guest house alongside a museum, a café and a hidden Georgian chapel with a domed ceiling.

There are 22 bedrooms, refurbished in recent years, and they are best described as clean, comfortable and unfussy rather than luxurious. Rooms include flat-screen televisions with satellite channels, tea and coffee facilities and free wi-fi; some are en suite and some have private facilities across the corridor, so it is worth checking the room type when booking. Singles, twins, doubles and family rooms are all available.

Guests have use of a self-catering kitchen, a comfortable communal sitting area and laundry facilities, which makes it practical for longer stays and for families. Booking direct includes the convent's breakfast, which has a good local reputation. The café is open to the public during the day, and the museum on the history of Christianity in the north of England is included for guests staying in the house.

It suits travellers who want a central, characterful and genuinely inexpensive base and do not need hotel services, as there is no bar, no room service and no parking on site. The railway station is around eight minutes' walk, and the walk through Micklegate Bar into the centre of York takes about ten minutes. The atmosphere is calm and the house has a curfew-free but quiet feel in the evenings.