St William's College stands immediately east of the Minster, a timber-framed building of 1461 that was built to house the chantry priests whose job was to say masses for the souls of wealthy donors. The front facade, facing College Street, is one of the best-preserved examples of medieval secular timber framing in York: the jetted upper floors and the carved central doorway are intact and largely unaltered. The building is named for William of York, a 12th-century Archbishop of York who was canonised in 1227.
The college has had various uses since the Reformation: it served as a printing house, a private dwelling, and a soldiers' mess during the Civil War. It is now used for events and as a visitor centre for the Minster. The interior is occasionally open to the public and can be visited as part of Minster-organised events. Even from outside, the building is worth pausing at: in a city of old buildings it is among the best.