York has no shortage of street names that make visitors stop and ponder.
Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate attracts much of the attention for its name which is almost as long as the lane itself.
Once Whitnourwhatnourgate, according to city records of 1505, and then Whitney Whatneygate, the knot of consonants loosened into the sing‑song Whip‑Ma‑Whop‑Ma‑Gate we know today.
Nearby Shambles is also known worldwide, more for its overhanging 13th century buildings that feature in hundreds of thousands of photographs than any quirky pronunciation.
But tucked between Parliament Street, Newgate and one of York’s busiest tourist attractions is another name with a fascinating past - Jubbergate, a short stretch leading towards Shambles Market.
Its unusual name has changed considerably over the centuries. And standing at its head is one of the most recognisable old buildings in this part of York - the timber-framed home of Gert & Henry’s.
So where did the name Jubbergate come from?
Go back far enough and anyone asking directions for Jubbergate would have been met with blank looks.
York Conservation Trust says it was originally called Brettegate, a Viking term meaning the street inhabited by Celtic Britons, who lived outside the Viking walls of York.
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By the later medieval period the name had changed.
Jubbergate in 1894. (Image: YAYAS)
The Trust says Brettegate became Jubrettegat in the 14th century, possibly because the area had also become associated with Jewish settlement.
Another history of the street records variations including Brettgate, Brettegate and Jewbrettgate before the familiar Jubbergate emerged.
The street itself once stretched further than it does today. The creation of Parliament Street in 1836 shortened Jubbergate, while part of the old street was widened and renamed Market Street in 1852.
At the junction with Newgate and Little Shambles stands 4 Jubbergate.
The oldest section began life as a townhouse in the 14th century, complete with the overhanging upper floor so characteristic of medieval York. A further timber-framed section was added in the 17th century.
An undated photo of Shambles Market which bustles with shoppers. (Image: The Press)
Today the building stands conspicuously apart beside Shambles Market. When it was first built, however, it would have been surrounded by similarly tightly packed medieval buildings.
By the 19th century the building had been divided into different homes and businesses. Shoemakers, brokers and other tradespeople were among those who occupied this busy corner of old York.
And this was a very different York.
A watercolour from around 1845 by Goodwin Kilburne shows the York-to-London stagecoach outside, at a time when passengers and mail were waiting nearby at the Coach and Horses Inn.
Such journeys were already disappearing, making way for steamboats and, eventually, the railways which transformed long-distance travel and brought the stagecoach era to an end.
The building underwent major restoration by architects Brierley and Rutherford in 1928.
Afterwards it served for many years as the White Rose Cafe. It was Grade II* listed in 1954 and York Conservation Trust bought the freehold three years later, in 1957.
White Rose Cafe in Jubbergate in 1981. (Image: The Press)
The White Rose Cafe was sold in January 1981. Press archives from that time record how the team of four full-time, one part-time and six casual workers had been given notice on New Year’s Eve.
Goodfare Catering Ltd was the owner at the time, whose chairman and managing director Ernest Barnett had run the restaurant since 1956.
Having reached the age of 78, he told this newspaper: “I am no longer a young man.”
The restaurant was due to close within a week of the announcement for alterations.
Grandma Batty’s Yorkshire Pudding Emporium in Jubbergate in 1989 was said to serve Yorkshire Puddings of the highest quality. The building is now home to Gert & Henry's. (Image: The Press)
Ten years later, the premises opened under a different name - Grandma Batty’s Yorkshire Pudding Emporium, serving Yorkshire puddings said to be of the highest quality. The restaurant could also cater for up to 120 diners at a time.
Today it houses Gert & Henry’s, serving up hearty portions and traditional British classics while its diners are surrounded by the bustle of shoppers and visitors.
A review by The Press from 2008 described Gert & Henry’s as an “atmospheric restaurant”, noting the building’s twisting staircases, upstairs dining rooms and beamed ceilings.
Its charm and appeal is still an enduring feature today.
Visitors to the Market Cat, which opened at 6 Jubbergate at the corner of Shambles Market in 2018, can now enjoy a bird's eye view(from the upper floors, of course) of Gert & Henry's and city rooftops leading towards York Minster.
So while much around it has disappeared or changed beyond recognition, this medieval survivor remains. From Brettegate to Jubrettegat and finally Jubbergate, from townhouse to shops, the White Rose Cafe and Gert & Henry’s, this little corner of York provides a remarkable thread through centuries of York life.