York Historic Environment Record

YORK SE6052SW MINSTER GATES 1112-1/27/700 (North West side) 14/06/54 No.1 GV II* Formerly known as: Nos.81, 82 AND 83 HIGH PETERGATE. Includes: No.38 HIGH PETERGATE. Two shops and flat. C15 structure, raised in C16; remodelled in late C18, altered in early C19: further alteration later. Original building timber-framed, re-fronted in buff-brown brick in Flemish bond; timber shopfronts and cornice; brick stack to hipped pantile roof. EXTERIOR: 4-storeys; 2-bay front to Minster Gates; 7-bay front to High Petergate. Minster Gates: glazed and panelled door to left, flush panelled door to right, now blocked by electricity box, flank 28-pane shop window and flush panelled riser, beneath semi-elliptical radial glazed fanlight. Shopfront framed in sunk-panel pilasters with paired acanthus brackets at the head, flat cornice and reeded spandrels round fanlight. Petergate front has similar shop surrounds with paired shop windows of 24-panes on each side of 6-panel door with diagonally glazed overlight. Fanlights generally enriched with applied mouldings, those over doors rosette wreaths, two enclosing the words Stationery and Prints. At angle between fronts, inset fluted column with foliate capital supports carving of Minerva, dated 1801 and advertising the premises of John Wolstenholme, bookseller. Petergate front; at left end two further shops have separate fronts, one with reeded pilasters framing plate glass window over boarded riser and glazed and panelled door with overlight: further left is door of 6 raised and fielded panels beneath divided overlight: all beneath dentilled moulded cornice. Adjacent shop, now incorporated with No.1 Minster Yard (qv), has small-pane canted bay window in brick blocking, all beneath moulded cornice. On first and second floors, Petergate front has 12-pane sash windows, central ones in moulded architraves, with pediment on first floor, cornice on second floor. Third floor windows are squat 6-pane sashes. All windows have painted stone sills and flat arches of orange gauged brick. Above, 12-pane sash windows to left of first and second floors, second floor one blind, and tall 8-pane sashes to right: third floor openings are blocked. Dentilled and modillioned moulded cornice to both fronts. INTERIOR: altered early C18 straight staircase to first floor has close string, thick turned balusters, square newel with attached half baluster and ramped-up moulded handrail. Second, winder staircase rising to third floor has renewed lowest flight with stick balusters and above, slender turned balusters with flat, steeply ramped handrail. At rear of No.38 High Petergate is a quarter turn staircase to third floor, with close string, slender turned balusters, column newels and ramped-up moulded handrail. Ground floor: front room to Minster Gates retains three doorcases with beaded cornices, one with mask attached; second mask between windows. Second room has shallow elliptical dome with moulded surround carried on four columns with acanthus capitals. Third room has fireplace with plain surround, flat shelf and mid C19 grate: in cupboard to right, one C18 shaped shelf survives. First floor: front room has three doorways, two with doors of 6 beaded panels, and two windows with fluted architraves and rosettes; at rear, a wide niche with elliptical arch. Room over No.38 has fireplace with moulded surround, fluted frieze and dentilled moulded cornice shelf. RCHM record fielded panelling but none was visible. Second floor: subdivided front room has fireplace with sunk-panelled jambs, frieze and overmantel, and moulded shelf and cornice on console brackets. Second room lined entirely with early C17 square panelling incorporating fireplace and overmantel panels of incised arches between fluted baluster columns with moulded caps: panelled cupboard door on cockshead hinges to right; moulded cornice. Room over No.38 has plain fireplace with moulded cornice shelf. Fragments of timber-framing are visible, mostly on second floor in original rear wall: spine and cross beams mostly cased. (City of York: RCHME: The Central Area: HMSO: 1981-: 160). Listing NGR: SE6028952112