Treasure House, Beverley: First look inside Yorkshire cultural landmark after £3.3m upgrades
For the first time couples will be able to get married at the Treasure House, which shut for a year for a refresh, which has seen more services move under the same roof.
The building has been renamed in honour of the Beverley-born businessman John Edward Champney (1846–1921), who provided the funding for a public library and art gallery in the town.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdChampney, who made his fortune in the textile mills of Halifax, left the majority of his picture collection and 4,500 books to the town.


The renovated building also now houses the register office, which has relocated from Walkergate House, as well as the customer service centre, which was at Cross Street. East Riding Council has put Walkergate House, which was built in 1760, on the market.
The council said the upgrade included a “fully immersive” sensory room in the library, with light and sound effects "for captivating story telling”.
Weddings will take place in the Edwardian reference library downstairs, with the newly landscaped Champney Gardens providing a setting for photographs after the ceremony.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdLynsey Helme and Nathan Makey from Hornsea said they were excited to be one of the first couples to be married at the venue.


The pair,who will tie the knot on December 18, said: “It will be a story we can tell our children, and they can tell their children.”
Meanwhile the art gallery has been repainted and rehung, with artworks from the collection displayed for the first time. The tourist information centre can now be found at the entrance to the building.
Cabinet member Councillor Nick Coultish said: "We are incredibly proud to open this new cultural venue, a space which houses many essential services whilst becoming a destination where people can come together, explore, learn and celebrate.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide Ad‘’We look forward to seeing Champney Treasure House become a vibrant venue for people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy.’’
Civic Society chair Dick Lidwell said he’d been apprehensive was but pleased with the result: “I think they’ve done a good job particularly the register office and I’m also pleased with the size of the library.
"My only criticism is I’m not quite sure the tourist information centre will work.”
Grade 11 listed Walkergate House, opposite Tesco, is a three-storey building, with a Georgian façade.
The sales particulars describe it as “a piece of Beverley’s history, waiting to be revitalised in the hands of a new custodian”.
Tenders need to be submitted by January 15.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.