Details
YORK
SE5951NE MICKLEGATE
1112-1/15/649 (South side)
14/06/54 Nos.53 AND 55
GV II*
Town house, now nightclub. 1751 on rainwater head at rear;
subdivided, altered and second doorcase added c1813. House
returned to single occupancy in C20 and stairhall ceiling
renewed 1970. Possibly by John Carr.
MATERIALS: front of orange-red brick in Flemish bond on
painted stone plinth; rusticated quoins and dressings of
painted stone; original doorcase of painted stone, with added
column of painted timber; dentil and modillion cornice of
timber. Rear of buff-red brick with red brick dressings.
Double span roof, slate at front, tile at rear, with stepped
and shaped gable ends.
PLAN: originally central entrance hall plan; doorway to right
created from former window opening.
EXTERIOR: basement and 3 storeys; 5-window front. Flight of
steps leads to double doorcase of three engaged Tuscan
columns, triglyph frieze and cornice hood; two 6-panel doors
beneath radial fanlights set in round-arched architraves with
imposts. 12-pane sash windows on ground and first floors,
unequal 9-pane sashes on second floor, all with triple-keyed
flat arches of gauged brick. Plinth band forms sill band to
ground floor windows; first and second floor windows have
painted stone sills. Raised bands to first and second floors.
Rear: later extensions obscure ground floor. Radial-glazed
staircase window in centre of first floor, beneath keyed round
arch of gauged brick with moulded imposts. Raised bands of
brick to first and second floors. Moulded eaves cornice. Dated
rainwater goods with ornate clamps, at right end.
INTERIOR: extensive cellars, barrel-vaulted or groined, run
beneath whole house. Ground floor: original entrance hall has
moulded skirting, dado rail and cornice enriched with
egg-and-dart; doorcase with pulvinated frieze and dentil
cornice. Round stairhall arch with triple keyblock, panelled
reveals with moulded imposts and bases, incorporated in
skirting. In stairhall, skirting, dado rail and cornice
continue from entrance hall; also doorcase similar to that at
front. Main staircase to first floor has open string, 3
balusters, alternately turned, twisted and fluted, to a stair,
and serpentine moulded handrail wreathed at foot around fluted
column newel on shaped curtail step. Radial-glazed staircase
window in pilastered round arch beneath floral swags and
pendants. Front room fitted with raised panels in egg-and-
dart moulded surrounds, with two enlarged, eared and
shouldered panels bordered with Greek key mouldings in similar
surrounds on side walls. Sumptuous cornice of dentils,
egg-and-dart, and modillions alternating with rosettes.
Moulded door and window cases, the doorcase with frieze of
rinceaux and cornice enriched as ceiling cornice; windows have
panelled shutters similar to wall panelling. Chimneypiece of
Ionic columns beneath enriched frieze and broken pedimented
overmantel in plaster moulded surround of pendant garlands.
Back room has sunk dado panelling, moulded cornice, plain
window shutters and mid C19 fireplace.
At rear of inserted entrance hall to No.55, round arch on
panelled pilaster reveals with moulded imposts leads to
original secondary staircase. Staircase rises from ground to
first floor, and has close string, turned balusters and square
newels, and moulded, ramped-up handrail. To right of entrance
passage, wide square-headed opening in moulded frame with lion
mask paterae leads to front room. In front room, fireplace
with fluted jambs and frieze survives, flanked by fitted
cupboards of which the lower doors, with applied composition
roundels enclosing female heads, beneath shaped panels, also
survive; panelled window reveals; dentil cornice.
First floor: upper part of main stairwell has wall panelling
above moulded dado rail, and renewed ceiling of Rococo
plasterwork panels, all enriched with egg-and-dart mouldings;
cornice of acanthus modillions and rosettes. Lobby to front
reception room approached through opening in the form of an
Ionic triumphal arch of fluted pilasters, entablature and
dentilled pediment, broken by moulded round arch with triple
keyblock and panelled reveals; flanking arches are blind and
enriched with egg-and-dart moulded panels enclosing floral
drops. Eared doorcases have enriched architraves and
pediments, one pediment broken, and doors of six moulded
panels. In front room: moulded window cases with lion mask
paterae; two fireplaces, one reeded with carved posies in
angle blocks, the other with grooved elongated console jambs
and frieze carved with rinceaux and swags; moulded cornice.
Room at rear has panelled walls and fireplace with pulvinated
frieze and moulded cornice shelf.
Altered secondary staircase rises to attics, with slender
turned balusters and newels. Attics have gypsum plaster
floors.
(City of York: RCHME: South-west of the Ouse: HMSO: 1972-:
76).
Listing NGR: SE5995051617
