The Snickleway Inn, 47 Goodramgate, York

Image: © Jo and Steve Turner Taken: 11 Nov 2016

This pub is one of the oldest in York. It has changed its name many times including from the 18th century the Painters Arms, Square & Compass, and Board. Most recently from 1896 to 1994 it was known as the Angler's Arms. The present name dates from 1994 and is apparently a deliberate misspelling of Snickelway to avoid breaking Mark W Jones’ copyright from his 1983 book A Walk Around the Snickelways of York. The Grade II* Listed public house has a front range of about 1500. Originally it was a house; evidence suggests it may have once been used as a brothel as well as being the Royalist powder magazine during the English Civil War. It was known to be a pub in 1769 and there are records telling us they have had a kitchen and served food to the public for at least 100 years. Derek Acorah names the pub as being amongst Britain's 100 scariest places to visit, thought to be haunted by at least 5 spirits. From time to time the smell of lavender is said to emanate from the top floor, filling the whole pub. During the time of the plague, corpses were placed in the uppermost rooms. To cover the smell, the use of sweet smelling lavender was common. Directory entries include the following, addressed at the time as No.35 & 36 Goodramgate unless stated; 1841 Square & Compass, Richard Powell, No.35; 1851 William Cooper, no profession given; 1855 'Letters', William Cooper, No.35; 1885-1895 Edward Staines wine & spirit merchant & beer retailer in 1895; 1913 Angler's Arms, Mrs Mary Jane Marley. It is difficult to locate beerhouses in most directories as they don't often include names. It is strange to be listed as wine & spirit merchants and not be named as a pub. In 5 or 6 earlier directories I just couldn't locate the building at all. It seems to have been called 'Letters' in the mid 19th century.

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