The last stop on our walk with Jamie was the Merchant Adventurers' Hall. It is a medieval guildhall and was one of the most important buildings in the medieval city. The majority of the Hall was built in 1357 AD by a group of influential men and women (yes, women) who came together to form a religious fraternity called the Guild of Our Lord Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was granted the status of the Company of Merchant Adventurers of York by Queen Elizabeth I in the 1500's. The main part of the building consists of the Great Hall and the undercroft (crypt), which was originally a hospital or almshouse for poor people of York. The Great Hall is a timber-framed structure and was built over a five year period. It is the largest timber-framed building in the United Kingdom that is still standing and being used for its original purpose. The roof of the hall is of two spans supported by a row of large central timber posts. It includes complex crown posts and is held together by wooden pegs. (no nails) The undercroft is also divided in two by its supporting row of timber posts.

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