13/04/2026
The Citadel in York transformed by £300,000 investment
First look pictures of York church's transformation
The Citadel on Gillygate in York, owned by York City Church, has completed a £300,000 transformation of its 500-seater ‘Booth Hall’ and café, as it continues to develop as a hive of community life which serves the City.
The Citadel in York was opened by William Booth of the Salvation Army in 1883 as a place of worship, mission and social justice in York, and now under the ownership of York City Church, the church has continued to build on these roots bringing life to people in York, and particularly those who are often more marginalised.
The works, led by York firm conservation ltd, have transformed the main auditorium, including preserving and ensuring long-term safety of the building’s heritage features. The café has also been completely renewed as a vibrant space for community and wellbeing.
The investment comes as a result of the church’s growing 250+ congregation and the multitude of ways the building is being used, from refugee-led pop-up restaurant nights and gigs, to nurturing social enterprises and mental health and wellbeing communities.
For the leaders of City Church, they see these improvements and initiatives as a natural overflow of the life and worship of the Christian community. Mark Alty, Exec Pastor and part of the leadership team, said “As privileged owners of this beautiful historic venue in the centre of York, we want everything about it to reflect what we know of a God who creates and redeems. This means stewarding it well for many years to come, looking after the fabric of the building and using it to love and serve the city, and particularly those on the margins.
Kiara Rough, Rentals Coordinator for The Citadel said: “We want these improvements to the building to bring life to people in York, whether that’s through the church, initiatives we’ve started, or working in partnership with others doing great things in our city.”
In 2015, The Citadel became the “home” of York City Church, and since then, it has developed into a dynamic venue playing host to concerts, art exhibitions, international business lectures, the refugee Welcome Cafe and main Council meetings for the City of York.
It is not unusual for in any one week to see the building move from being used as a bustling lunch club to lecture theatre to gig venue to church gathering, and the building improvements are part of making all of those things happen.
For more information about The Citadel, or to hire the venue, you can go to thecitadel.org.uk
