An historic York shop is set for a new lease of life.
Stephenson’s Gallery, currently housed in Heworth, wants to move into the building that was home to a florists for more than century.
Business owners Mark and Louise Stephenson hope to make cosmetic changes to the building as they prepare to move in.
The shop, at 6 Clifford Street, has been empty since last August, after the previous business, Angela Bare, relocated.
The fashion shop was based there for seven years, but owner Angela decided to return to Bridlington where she founded the business in 2012.
The unit is a small triangular space within a much larger building, originally designed and built in 1868 as York’s Corn Exchange. Along with others in the country, the Corn Exchange closed due to the falling prices of English corn.
It then housed Wards the Florist, a popular business that traded in York for 114 years.
A sign for that business remains in place above the doorway.
However, Stephenson’s Gallery wish to remove it to display its own brand, and has applied for planning permission to do just that.
A heritage statement says: “Whilst Wards were an established and popular business in York for 114 years, it has now been eight years since they vacated number 6 and it is time to remove their signage to enable the applicant’s business Stephenson’s Gallery to advertise themselves and flourish in this beautiful building.”
The proposal includes removing the old signage, repairing the fixing holes, cleaning and re-painting the casing, and installing new signage.
The new sign will read ‘Stephenson’s Gallery’ in 3D brass letters, attached to the stonework centrally over the entrance to the unit.
The new sign will closely resemble the old ‘Wards Florist’ lettering, using a similar font, size, and 3D effect.
The main difference will be the mounting of the brass letters onto slender horizontal rails, reducing the quantity of fixing points required.
A planning consultation for the proposed signage is scheduled for Monday 10 March.
York’s newest art gallery
Mark and Louise Stephenson founded the independent art company EE Fine Art in Cambridge in 2007, initially specialising in Eastern European art.
In 2024, the business rebranded as Stephenson’s Gallery and relocated to York, expanding their focus to include the “captivating world of Northern art”.
Business owners Mark and Louise Stephenson hope the new venue on Clifford Street will provide an even more immersive experience for art lovers.
Their move to Clifford Street comes as another picture-based business is preparing to move out.
D Frames is relocating to Acomb at the end of its lease. Owner Dee Weaver said she couldn’t find a store at a reasonable price within the city centre.
For more information on Stephenson’s Gallery, you can check out their website here or their Facebook page here.