York Historic Environment Record

YORK SE6052SW EXHIBITION SQUARE 1112-1/27/312 (West side) 24/06/83 Headmaster's house (Formerly Listed as: EXHIBITION SQUARE Principal's house of the former School for the Blind) GV II House of the Headmaster of the Yorkshire School for the Blind at the King's Manor (qv); now university offices. 1899. By Walter Brierley. MATERIALS: front of limestone ashlar with patches of brick and brick gables; stone quoins, dressings and doorcases; rear and returns of pink-cream brick in English bond; steeply pitched roof of plain tiles with stone coping and banks of brick stacks with stone strings and cornices. 4-light window in flat topped dormer at front, two at rear. EXTERIOR: 2 storeys and attics; 5-bay front, 2 gabled bays alternating with 3 full-height square projecting bays; 1 subsidiary bay beneath lower roof at left end: chamfered plinth. Right of centre bay has keyed round arch on panelled pilasters to recessed porch, carved spandrels and flanking columns supporting entablature with obelisk finials at the column heads. At rear of tunnel-vaulted porch is door of linenfold panels with original door furniture: in side walls, semicircular niches with shell canopies. On first floor is 3-light window, and in gabled attic, squat Venetian window. Gabled left of centre bay has similar attic window and two 3-light windows on both ground and first floors. Square bays have 5-light ground and first floor windows. End left bay contains panelled door with original door furniture in doorcase with moulded cornice: 3-light window on first floor. Moulded cornice extends width of front above ground floor openings. Moulded eaves cornice runs beneath brick parapet over left end bay and stone parapets over projecting bays: all have moulded stone copings. Over centre bay parapet coping rises as round-arched head of panel enclosing defaced carving of the Royal Arms. All windows have hollow chamfered mullions and transoms: all are square latticed casements or top hung lights, with original furniture. Rear: 2 storeys and attics; lower 2-storey gabled staircase projection at centre left; short 1-storey L-shaped range at left end. Wooden framed windows are 2-,3- or 4-lights, some with transoms, beneath flat arches of narrow orange soldier bricks, either with stone sills or moulded brick sill band to first floor windows at each end. Most are square lattice casements or top hung lights, some replacements without leaded lights. INTERIOR: not fully inspected but many original fittings survive intact. Main staircase has deep moulded close string, turned balusters and square newels. Secondary staircase has fine wrought-iron balustrade. Listing NGR: SE6003852231