Bean & Gone Coffee

About Bean & Gone Coffee

As well as serving great coffee and sandwiches, Bean & Gone Cafe has some fascinating history.

The cafe was once a public toilet constructed in 1910, one of many opened throughout the city at the time. Central York was well-provided with public conveniences by the start of the 20th century, some situated near the bars and posterns of the City Walls.

The staircase above the entrance leads to Bootham Bar, a medieval entranceway first constructed in the 12th century, which was built on top of the site of a Roman gateway.

A section of the legionary fortress wall, possibly dating back to the 2nd century, was revealed during building work on the public toilets.

Built out of magnesian limestone, the ruins were approximately one metre high but would have originally stood at least four metres in height.

The remains were recorded before being hidden away in a basement, beneath the male toilets, for over one hundred years.

Work to transform the former public convenience into a cafe included the installation of a glass floor over the fortress wall, along with a window from Bootham Bar, previously blocked up, providing views inside.