01st July 2017

Where did those grapes come from?

We’re pleased to see that the decorative carvings on the Angel on the Green have now been embellished with gold paint. But their origin is still a mystery to us, because at some stage many years ago, what was originally a plain corner frontage changed into the more elaborate arrangement today, with carvings of grapes on decorative wooden supports.  We can’t identify exactly when this happened. Robin Wetherill at Bishopgate Antiques, who has been there since 1975, has a theory that the corner shopfront at No 2 Bishopthorpe Road was quite special in York at the time.

In the 1870s this shop started off as a chemist and druggist, Thomas Lund, and later included a money order and savings bank office. By the 1920s, it was Angel & Co, pork butchers, and after the firm went bankrupt in 1932 it operated mainly in provisions/grocery until 1967, with G E Hugill (1936-7), British Traders (1949-1963) and Melias from 1965-7.

From the late 1960s the Bargain Centre traded over two buildings at nos 2 and 4, also known as the Sailor’s Mart.

In 1998 Cycle Heaven moved from across the road to this building, and later expanded into the two adjacent shops.

But when did the frontage change to include the grapes? Was it a wine shop at some stage? Does anyone have any information about this?