York Water Gate and the Adelphi from the River by Moonlight, circa 1850.

York House in the Strand in London was one of a string of mansions which once stood along the route from the City of London to the royal court at Westminster. It was built as the London home of the Bishops of Norwich not later than 1237 and around 300 years later it was acquired by King Henry VIII. It came to be known as York House when it was granted to the Archbishop of York in 1556, and retained that name for the rest of its existence. For about 70 years from 1558 it was leased to various Lord Keepers of the Great Seal of England. In the 1620s it was acquired by the royal favourite George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham and apart from an interlude during the English Civil War it remained in the family until George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham sold it to developers for £30,000 in 1672. He made it a condition of the sale that his name and title should be commemorated by George Street, Villiers Street, Duke Street, Of Alley, and Buckingham Street, some of which have survived into the 21st century (Villiers Street runs along the eastern side of Charing Cross station). Strand may refer to: The municipality Strand in Norway. ... The City of London is a small area in Greater London. ... Westminster is a district within the City of Westminster in London. ... Henry VIII King of England and Ireland by Hans Holbein the Younger His Grace King Henry VIII (28 June 1491–28 January 1547) was King of England and Lord of Ireland (later King of Ireland) from 22 April 1509 until his death. ... Arms of the Archbishop of York The Archbishop of York, Primate of England, is the metropolitan bishop of the Province of York, and is the junior of the two archbishops of the Church of England, after the Archbishop of Canterbury. ... The Lord Keeper of the Great Seal of England, and later of Great Britain was formerly an officer of the English Crown charged with physical custody of the Great Seal of England. ... George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham by Rubens George Villiers (August 28, 1592 – August 23, 1628) was the 1st Duke of Buckingham of the second creation (1623) of that title and a favourite of King James I of England and then of Charles I. He was born in Brooksby, Leicestershire... The term English Civil War (or Wars) refers to the series of armed conflicts and political machinations which took place between English Parliamentarians and Royalists from 1642 until 1651. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Charing Cross railway station. ...

The mansions on along the Strand were built where they were partly because they had direct access to the Thames, which was then a preferred transport artery. The York Watergate survives, now marooned 150 yards from the river due to the construction of the Thames Embankment. It was restored in the 1950s. Several places exist with the name Thames, and the word is also used as part of several brand and company names Most famous is the River Thames in England, on which the city of London stands Other Thames Rivers There is a Thames River in Canada There is a Thames... Victoria Embankment, London The Victoria Embankment, previously the Thames Embankment is a road and walkway along the north bank of the River Thames in London in the cities of Westminster and London. ...

References

• London's Mansions by David Pearce, (1986) ISBN 071348702X

See also

• York House, for a list of other mansions in London which have been known as York House.