York Hall
{{short description|Multi-purpose indoor arena in London, England}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox venue
|name= York Hall
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|logo_image=
|logo_caption=York Hall in Bethnal Green, London
|image= File:York Hall, Old Ford Road, E2 - geograph.org.uk - 394883.jpg
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|location= Bethnal Green
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|opened= 1929
|renovated= 2005
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|owner=Tower Hamlets Council
|operator=Tower Hamlets Council
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|publictransit= {{rint|london|underground}} Bethnal Green
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The York Hall, officially known as York Hall Leisure Centre, is a multi-purpose indoor arena and leisure centre in Bethnal Green, London. The building opened in 1929 and it is most famous as an international boxing venue with the first nights of professional boxing at the hall taking place in the late 1940s.[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2003/01/01/soboxx01.xml Boxing: Harrison calls for York Hall reprieve Sandra Laville]{{dead link|date=July 2021|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} (The Daily Telegraph) accessed 7 Dec 2007 The main hall also hosts concerts and other live events and other facilities also include a local gymnasium and a swimming pool.{{cite web | author=Europe Travel News | title=Public spa for London's Bethnal Green | work=Europe Travel News | url=http://www.europetravelnews.com/news/bethnal-green-spa/1241.htm| access-date=13 May 2007 }}
Considered the spiritual home of British boxing, hundreds of British fighters have had their early bouts at the hall.
History
The building, which was designed by the borough engineer and architect A.E. Darby, was officially opened by the Duke and Duchess of York in 1929.{{cite web|url=https://romanroadlondon.com/york-hall-boxing-heritage-bethnal-green/|title=York Hall – the history of the home of British Boxing|date=22 February 2019|publisher=Roman Road London}} It started hosting boxing events in the late 1940s.
The historic Victorian-style Turkish Bath in the basement was one of the last publicly run examples in the East End of London.{{cite web|url=https://romanroadlondon.com/york-hall-turkish-baths-bethnal-green/|title=York Hall Turkish Baths, one of London's last remaining traditional hammam|date=1 September 2018|publisher=Roman Road London}} In 1972 there were still six Turkish baths, a legacy of the high Jewish population of Russian and Polish origin. This included the traditional suites of Russian and Turkish steam rooms, sauna, relaxation lounge. However, the facility, which is owned by Tower Hamlets Council, was threatened with closure in 2004.{{Cite web|url=http://www.londonpoolscampaign.com/pools/yorkhall|title=londonpoolscampaign.com|website=www.londonpoolscampaign.com}}{{cite news | author=Mark Gould| title=York Hall beats the count | work=The Guardian | url=http://society.guardian.co.uk/societyguardian/story/0,7843,1160190,00.html| access-date=13 May 2007 | location=London | date=3 March 2004}}
After a major refurbishment in a joint project between the local Tower Hamlets council and Greenwich Leisure, the facility was re-branded as an upmarket Spa London day spa by the council in July 2007. Treatment rooms were added to provide a range of upmarket beauty treatments and other facilities now include a hammam, large sauna, two 'aroma' steam rooms, several hot rooms, a bucket shower, ice fountain and plunge pool.{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/beauty/spas/spa-of-the-week-york-hall-thermal-spa-bethnal-green-a4124061.html|title= Spa of the week: York Hall Day Spa, Bethnal Green |work=Evening Standard |date= 24 April 2019 |access-date=25 September 2019}}
The facelift included a state-of-the-art gymnasium that doubled the size of the previous gym area, a refurbished reception area and pool, and new changing rooms. The gym features a newly installed functional area including TRX and Technogym's latest functional frame.{{cite web|url=https://www.healthclubmanagement.co.uk/health-club-management-news/Work-set-to-begin-on-revamp-of-York-Hall-Turkish-Baths/12145|title=Work set to begin on revamp of York Hall Turkish Baths|date=12 September 2005|publisher=HCM}}
Boxing and combat sports
The spiritual home of British boxing, the first nights of professional boxing at York Hall took place in the late 1940s, and since then, hundreds of British boxers have had their early bouts at the venue, including Nigel Benn, Joe Calzaghe, Chris Eubank, Carl Froch, Tyson Fury, David Haye, Anthony Joshua, Lennox Lewis and Michael Watson.{{cite news |title=British boxers and iconic fight venues |url=https://www.britishboxers.co.uk/2013/06/british-boxers-and-iconic-fight-venues/ |access-date=30 January 2025 |website=Britishboxers.co.uk}} An intimate boxing venue that embodies the sport's working-class character, Mark Turley, boxing correspondent for the BBC, writes, {{quote|Most British sports have a particular venue synonymous with their global reputation — Wembley for football, Lord's for cricket, Wimbledon's All England Club for tennis. Grand stadiums for big events. What does it say about boxing that its most iconic UK venue is so different? York Hall offers something else. It provides the chance to watch and experience boxing in the same way as people would have done in the first part of the last century, raw, immediate and unaltered by the passage of time.{{cite news |title=Small Hall Spotlight: York Hall – a piece of living boxing history |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/62692572 |access-date=30 January 2025 |publisher=BBC}}}}
The press conference for the first boxing match between KSI and Logan Paul took place at the hall in July 2018.{{cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2018/07/18/logan-paul-storms-press-conference-ksi-rips-disgusting-dad-girlfriend-chloe-bennet-7732417/|title=Logan Paul storms out of press conference|publisher=Metro|date=18 July 2018}} On 29 September 2019, Adam Saleh had a boxing match in that same venue against Marcus Stephenson with FouseyTube vs Slim Albaher as the co-main event.{{Cite web |last=Corby |first=Donagh |date=2022-06-01 |title=Amir Khan rules out becoming boxing trainer after announcing retirement |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/boxing/amir-khan-boxing-retirement-news-27122636 |access-date=2022-12-26 |website=Mirror |language=en}}
The hall hosted the UFC London open workouts in March 2019 featuring Darren Till, Dominick Reyes and others.{{cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2019/03/11/ufc-london-open-workouts-weigh-ins-8884787/|title=When and where are the UFC London open workouts and weigh-ins?|work=Metro.co.uk|date=11 March 2019 |access-date=20 March 2019}} The hall has also hosted a number of Revolution Pro Wrestling events.{{Cite web |date=2022-08-20 |title=REV Pro 10th Anniversary Show Results (Night 1) From August 20, 2022 |url=https://www.noprimadonna.com/rev-pro-4/ |access-date=2022-09-02 |website=No Prima Donna |language=en}}
Transport
York Hall is served by Bethnal Green on the London Underground and Cambridge Heath on the London Overground
via Cambridge Heath Road, a range of local London Buses routes also give access, 8, 106, 254, 309, 388, D3 and D6 and night routes N8 and N253.{{Cite web|url=https://www.bettervenues.org.uk/venues/york-hall|title=StackPath|website=www.bettervenues.org.uk}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060313005020/http://www.britishboxing.net/venues_9-York-Hall-Bethnal-Green-England.html List of boxing bouts and results at the York Hall]}}
- {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070713120414/http://www.spa-london.org/subpage.asp?id=235&mainid=21 Official London Spa website]}}
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Category:Boxing venues in the United Kingdom
Category:Buildings and structures in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Category:History of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Category:Indoor arenas in London
Category:Public baths in the United Kingdom
Category:Sport in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets
Category:Sports venues in London
Category:Tourist attractions in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets