Youth hostel in old friary to reopen after improvements

The youth hostel is expecting the number of visitors to rise after turning two single-sex dormitories into family-friendly accommodation.

The six-month refurbishment is part of a national drive to modernise youth hostels.

There are now six bedrooms sleeping between two and eight people, as well as two communal lounges and a well-equipped kitchen.

Manager Chris Alder said: “The Friary is a beautiful, quirky building, and the refurbishment has enabled us to widen its appeal and attraction to the many families and groups who visit Beverley and the surrounding area each year.”

The friary, a short stroll from Beverley Minster, is the remains of a Dominican friary suppressed by Henry V111 in 1539, and its interior features wall paintings from the medieval and Tudor periods, as well as beamed ceilings and stone fireplaces. It has been a youth hostel since 1984.

The refurbishment was part funded by East Riding Council and Beverley Friary Preservation Trust.

In the past five years the youth hostelling charity YHA has invested £19.5m into its youth hostel network. Chief executive Caroline White said: “Through our investments we are creating a world class network of youth hostels throughout England and Wales. YHA Beverley Friary is a brilliant example of what we can now offer to everyone.”