York Historic Environment Record

YORK SE5951SE PRIORY STREET 1112-1/20/891 (North East side) 24/06/83 Priory Street Sports and Community Centre (Formerly Listed as: PRIORY STREET Priory Street Sports Centre) GV II Shown on OS map as Central College of Further Education. Priory Street Wesleyan School, now community centre. 1858, with later alteration and extension. By James Simpson of Leeds. Pink-cream mottled brick in English garden-wall bond; ashlar plinth and dressings; slate roof with brick stacks. Extension of similar brick with orange brick banding and slate roof. EXTERIOR: 1-storey front; three pedimented blocks, end ones boldly projecting, centre one breaking forward slightly, of 4:3:4 bays respectively, linked by 2-bay ranges. Extension set back at right end. Entrances altered; present doors in linking ranges and in returns to projecting end wings. Original central entrance in centre block altered to tall 3-light window with 6-pane sashes in plain ashlar surround with moulded cornice hood. Flanking windows, and those in link ranges, are 18-pane segment-headed sashes in keyed eared and shouldered architraves with ashlar sills on sill blocks. Windows in end blocks are round-headed radial-glazed sashes beneath keyed moulded archivolts on continuous moulded imposts over acanthus label-stops; sill band on sill blocks. Moulded cornices to eaves and to pediments: pediment of centre block encloses blind circular panel in shaped surround with moulded semicircular archivolt. Extension to right linked to main building by entrance bay with panelled double doors beneath divided overlight: gabled classroom block has 3-light segment-arched window with moulded mullions and transoms and sashes. Rear of main building: window types in end blocks repeat those of main front without architraves but with plain brick arches. 4-course raised brick eaves band with brick dentils across centre range continues on returns of end blocks. Left return: 7 round headed radial glazed sash windows with painted stone sills and gauged brick arches. Eaves band as at rear. INTERIOR: of main building: rooms have coffered ceilings with chamfer stopped beams carried on shaped brackets and inverted bell-shaped bosses at the intersections. In most rooms some dado panelling, rails and picture rails survive. In entrance hall is copper wall monument commemorating the "Sons of this School" who lost their lives in the 1914-1918 War. (Murray H: Nathaniel Whittock's Bird's-eye View of the City of York in 1850: York: 1988-: 38; Pace GG: Bishophill: York: York: 1974-: 5, 25). Listing NGR: SE5994851489