York Historic Environment Record

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