The Folk Hall is a thriving community hub in the village of New Earswick, York. Opened by Joseph Rowntree in 1907, the Folk Hall was given as a gift to the people of the village as “a place for meeting”. Under the care of JRHT the building has just undergone a major modernisation, creating a fully accessible and wonderfully light, bright space for everyone to enjoy.
After the £1 million major refurbishment, the Folk Hall officially re-opened on 22 September 2018. Around 400 people from New Earswick and across York came to the hall to help celebrate its new look and new services.
The Folk Hall is now fully re-open, with a Post Office, New Earswick Library and a fantastic Cafe on the ground floor. Many elements of the building have been refurbished and refreshed, with spaces opened up to create a light and spacious interior while respecting its Arts and Crafts features.
The beamed ceiling in the large hall, now called the Orchard Hall, has been uncovered, making the room much more light and open.
Just down from the Orchard Hall is the new Discovery Room. This room is a community space for people in New Earswick. With bright colours and lots of scope for fun and creativity, the room has been designed by local young people along with York-based artist Liz Foster.
Upstairs are a number of meeting rooms which can be booked, a computer room and a quieter space for reading and relaxation. There are a number of breakout spaces across the mezzanine that can be booked out for larger bookings or used by the general public.
We are a fully accessible venue, with a disabled lift to provide access to the upper rooms, Changing Places, and ramps at all the entrances. We have hearing loops available for all the spaces within the building. Our Café has a range of accessible menus at our Café.
We have a host of regular and one off events running at the Folk Hall for our local and wider community to join in. We have Art Classes, community groups, a range of exercise classes including Pilates, yoga, Over 50’s keep fit and so much more. Throughout the year we also host a range of big community and one off special events. We are also operate as a venue that you can hire for your big event, show or corporate conference.
For details on this and more, explore the pages below and see what this beautiful venue has to offer!
What’s On
We have a host of regular and one off events running at the Folk Hall for our local and wider community to join in. Throughout the year we also host a range of big community and one off special events, more details of which you can find here.
News
We post regular blogs with the latest news, interest stories and updates for the Folk Hall and you can also find our different social media channels for you to follow. To help you know what’s going on!
Café and Catering
The Folk Hall’s fabulous café is currently open 9am-3pm Monday to Friday, and 9am to 1.30pm on Saturday. Pop in for a delicious coffee and a freshly baked scone, or stay a little longer and choose from our broad menu of fresh, local dishes including cooked breakfasts, light lunches and afternoon snacks (vegetarian and gluten free options always on offer).
Room Hire
There are several rooms available for hire at Folk Hall, with capacities from 2 to 150 people. From 1-to-1 teaching spaces, to fully-equipped professional boardroom, to dance hall with stage and bar, we can cater for almost any type of meeting or event. Private functions, corporate meetings and training sessions, weddings and community activities are held throughout the year.
Post Office
New Earswick Post Office moved to the Folk Hall in 2017 and can be found in the main foyer area (currently open 9am-6pm Monday-Friday and 9am-1.30pm Saturday). Photocopying facilities are available in the library and at reception.
Library
New Earswick Explore Library can be found within the Folk Hall with a wonderful selection of books, public access computers and self-service machines spread throughout. Further information and opening hours can be found at Explore’s website and self-service issue and return is available in the main reception of the Folk Hall during general opening hours.