York Historic Environment Record

Public house. 1893-94 with C20 alteration. By WG Penty. Red brick in English garden-wall bond, the first floor partly tile hung, partly faced with planted timber-framing: ground floor door and window surrounds are of ashlar: plain tile roof and tall external brick stacks with brick corbel cornices. EXTERIOR: 2-storey front of 3 gabled bays: at right end, 2-storey half octagonal tower fills angle between end gable and external stack on right return. Entrance through porch within quoined and moulded round arch. At rear is sunk panelled door in architrave with incised shouldered head beside fixed square latticed light, both in quoined surround stepped up over door head to enclose panel inscribed: "BUILT 1894". Porch is flanked by 4-light mullioned windows over moulded and sloped sillstring: windows are sashes of which the upper is square latticed, the lower plain. On first floor, centre window is square bay, coved beneath, the outer ones canted bays on shaped brackets: all are of 5 timber mullioned and transomed lights with square lattice glazing. Gables are filled with decorative framing, each one different. Porch surround and first floor plate incorporate carved bosses of various designs. Over the porch is a moulded metal plate embossed with the name "BAY HORSE". Tower has pointed roof with overhanging eaves on shaped brackets. Windows are banded at the head of each storey: those on ground floor are single square latticed lights in moulded stone surrounds over sloped and moulded sillstring: on first floor, 3-light diamond leaded lights with timber mullions. Right return: 2 storeys, 5 bays; 2 bays are gabled and divided by tall extruded stacks. Doors are sunk panelled with inserted lights. Ground floor windows are of 1, 2 or 5 transomed pivoting lights. First floor windows are squatter: three are of 3 mullioned and transomed lights, and one 1-light, one 2-light without transoms. All glazing is square latticed. Stack towards the front has inset ashlar panel carved in low relief with a cartouche enclosing prancing horse. INTERIOR: on ground floor original room arrangement survives, though with later opening-up. Original features include the bar and two timber fireplaces with overmantels. One framed in fluted pilasters has a carved panel of a Bay Horse dated 1898. Staircase has close string and turned balusters. HISTORICAL NOTE: the Bay Horse replaced an earlier public house of the same name built against the wall of St Mary's Abbey, Museum Gardens opposite (qv), demolished as insanitary in 1895.
(Murray H, Riddick S & Green R: York through the Eyes of the Artist: York City Art Gallery: 1990-: 59).
Listing NGR: SE5975952131

Derived from English Heritage LB download dated: 22/08/2005