Report

ROYAL COMMISSION ON THE ANCIENT AND HISTORICAL MONUMENTS AND CONSTRUCTIONS OF ENGLAND

Report to The Queen's Most Excellent Majesty

May It Please Your Majesty

We, the undersigned Commissioners appointed to make an Inventory of the Ancient and Historical Monuments and Constructions connected with or illustrative of the contemporary culture, civilisation and conditions of life of the people of England, excluding Monmouthshire, from the earliest times to the year 1714, and such further Monuments and Constructions subsequent to that year as may seem in our discretion to be worthy of mention therein, and to specify those which seem most worthy of preservation, do humbly submit to Your Majesty the following Report, being the twenty-ninth Report on the Work of the Commission since its first appointment.

2. We have pleasure in reporting the completion of our recording of the Monuments in the south-western part of the City of York, an area including seven parishes containing 164 monuments.

3. Following our usual practice we have prepared a full illustrated Inventory of the monuments in south-west York, which will be issued as York III. As in other recent Inventories, the Commissioners have adopted the terminal date 1850 for the monuments included in the Inventory.

4. The methods adopted in previous Inventories of describing post-Roman buildings and mediaeval and later earthworks, etc., have been adhered to in general. An innovation is the method of recording the many houses built between 1800 and 1850. The development and redevelopment in this period had a considerable effect upon the life and aspect of the city; for brevity therefore, without emasculation of the record, a simple tabulated list of these houses has been given, accompanied by short, general accounts of their architectural features and components.

5. York has a particularly rich inheritance of documentary records and has numbered many devoted historians among its citizens during the past three hundred years. The wealth of primary and secondary sources of information thus available has enabled us to establish close dating for many of the monuments included in the Inventory and often to attribute works to named architects and craftsmen. As a result, the Inventory establishes chronological and stylistic criteria for the region.

6. An Inventory of the Roman remains in the city was published in 1962 under the title: City of York I. Eburacum, Roman York. Monuments of a military character are listed and described in York II, The Defences (1972), which includes, as well as the Bars and Walls, Baile Hill and the former earthwork from which The Mount takes its name.

7. Our special thanks are due to incumbents and churchwardens and to owners and occupiers who have allowed access by our staff to the monuments in their charge. We are indebted to the Directors, Curators and those in charge of many institutions for their ready assistance to us, and particularly to Mr. T. Doherty and Mr. O. S. Tomlinson, successive York City Librarians, to the late Mr. J. Biggins and Mr. L. M. Smith of the Reference Library, to the Rev. Canon R. Cant and Mr. C. B. L. Barr of the York Minster Library, to Mrs. N. K. M. Gurney, of the Borthwick Institute, to Mr. N. Higson of the East Riding County Record Office, to Mr. C. K. C. Andrew and Mr. M. Y. Ashcroft of the North Riding County Record Office, to Sir Anthony Wagner, Garter King of Arms, and the Chapter of the College of Arms, to Dr. R. W. Hunt and the Bodleian Library, Oxford, and to Mr. J. Hopkins of the Society of Antiquaries of London; also to Mr. G. F. Willmott, formerly Keeper of the Yorkshire Museum, to the officials of the York City Art Gallery, to Miss F. E. Wright, Hon. Secretary of the Yorkshire Architectural and York Archaeological Society, to Miss A. G. Foster and Mr. D.J. H. Michelmore of the Yorkshire Archaeological Society, and also to Miss E. Brunskill, the Ven. the Archdeacon of York, C. R. Forder, the partners in the firm of Messrs. Brierley, Leckenby and Keighley, architects, and Mr. W. Jesse Green, some of whose photographs of stained glass are reproduced by permission of the Dean and Chapter. The late the Rev. Canon J. S. Purvis, the late the Rev. Canon B. A. Smith and the late the Rev. Angelo Raine all gave us valuable help for which we are grateful. We wish also to record our gratitude to Mr. T. D. Tremlett, who has continued to advise us on heraldic matters.

8. We humbly recommend to Your Majesty's notice the following Monuments in the south-west area of the City of York as most worthy of preservation:

Ecclesiastical

(4) Parish Church of All Saints, North Street, dating from c. 1100, with good tower and spire; chancel and aisle roofs of c. 1470; remarkable 14th and 15th-century stained glass.

(5) Parish (former Priory) Church of Holy Trinity, Micklegate, on a Saxon site, consisting of nave of alien Benedictine Priory and dating from c. 1100; tower of 1453.

(6) Parish Church of St. John the Evangelist, Micklegate, dating from the early 12th century but mostly of later mediaeval date; tower with timber-framed upper part of 1646.

(7) Parish Church of St. Martin-cum-Gregory, Micklegate, dating from the 11th century but mostly of later mediaeval date; brick tower of 1677; good stained glass and other fittings.

(8) Parish Church of St. Mary Bishophill Junior, dating from the 10th century; Saxon tower, for the rest 12th to 15th-century.

(12) Parish Church of St. Edward the Confessor, Dringhouses, 1847–9, in the Gothic style; connected with the Oxford Movement.

(13) Convent of the Institute of St. Mary, called The Bar Convent (R.C.), a well documented group of buildings dating from 1765 and including a chapel designed by Thomas Atkinson.

Secular

(20) Ouse Bridge, 1810–20, designed by Peter Atkinson II.

(24) Middleton's Hospital, Skeldergate, 1827–9, designed by Peter Atkinson II.

(28) The Old Railway Station, opened 1841, designed by G. T. Andrews.

(38) Bishophill House, dating from the early 18th century, for the fine rococo ceiling, probably by Francesco Cortese, and the bow window with bronze glazing bars.

(52) Holgate House, central block finished by 1774, with original staircase and fireplaces.

(55) Nos. 3–9 Micklegate, completed by 1727; two large houses of the Thompson family, with impressive exteriors in fine brickwork, first-floor saloon and good fittings.

(65) Nos. 53–55 Micklegate, finished c. 1755; house, probably by John Carr, with fine wood and plasterwork.

(66) No. 54 Micklegate, finished 1757; house of Garforth family, probably by John Carr, with fine fittings; surviving more complete than perhaps any other house of the period in the area.

(72) No. 68 Micklegate, mid 17th-century; for the fine oak staircase of that date. Of historical interest as Henry Gyles's house.

(79) Nos. 85, 87, 89 Micklegate, late mediaeval timber-framed houses, with important jettied exterior, recently restored.

(80) No. 86 Micklegate, house of the Bathurst family, dating from c. 1720, with good staircase.

(81) Nos. 89–90 Micklegate, house of the Bourchiers, finished by 1752 and probably designed by John Carr; though largely gutted, retains fine staircase and ceiling and other fittings and is the most important town house in the area.

(87) Nos. 99, 101 and 103 Micklegate, mid 14th-century timber-framed houses, with original roof structure.

(95) Nos. 118, 120 Micklegate, built c. 1742; house and fittings.

(96) Nos. 122–126 Micklegate, for the staircase and panelling.

(104) Church Cottages, No. 31 North Street with Nos. 1, 2 All Saints Lane, timber-framed, late 15th-century.

(114) No. 52 Skeldergate, saw mill, 1839; industrial building.

(117) No. 56 Skeldergate, c. 1770; house, probably by John Carr, with noteworthy front and good fittings.

(120) No. 1 Tanner Row with No. 39 North Street; late 15th-century timber-framed house.

(122) No. 7a Tanner Row (The Old Rectory), timber-framed house of c. 1600, with staircase from Alne Hall.

(125) Jacob's Well, Trinity Lane; late mediaeval house, timber framed, with late mediaeval door-canopy from elsewhere.

The houses on either side of The Mount and in Mount Vale together with The Mount Villas (Nos. 304, 306 Tadcaster Road) are worthy of preservation for their scenic value; many contain good fittings.

Acomb

(137–8) Manor Farm, No. 14 Front Street, and Manor House, No. 14a Front Street; house of the late 15th or early 16th century, the oldest in Acomb.

(141) No. 21 Front Street (The Lodge), built c. 1700; for the staircase.

(142) No. 23 Front Street (Acomb House), of the first half of the 18th century and later, with good staircase and other fittings.

Middlethorpe

(163) Middlethorpe Hall, 1699–1701; the most important country house in the area, with fine original fittings; in a good setting.

9. In compiling the foregoing list our criteria have been architectural or archaeological importance, rarity, not only in the national but in the local field, and the degree of loss to the nation that would result from destruction, always bearing in mind the extent to which the monuments are connected with or illustrative of the contemporary culture, civilisation and conditions of life of the people of England, as required by Your Majesty's Warrant. The list thus has an entirely scholarly basis.

10. We desire to express our acknowledgement of the good work accomplished by our executive staff in the preparation and production of this Inventory, in particular by Mr. J. H. Harvey, F.S.A., the results of whose industry and careful researches before his resignation in 1970 have added so much to the interest and value of the Inventory, and by Dr. E. A. Gee, M.A., F.S.A., F.R.HIST.S., whose work has complemented that of Mr. Harvey; by Messrs. R. W. McDowall, O.B.E., M.A., F.S.A., T. W. French, M.A., F.S.A., J. E. Williams, E.R.D., A.R.C.A., F.S.A., and D. W. Black, B.A.; by Messrs. H. G. Ramm, M.A., F.S.A., D. P. Dymond, M.A., F.S.A., A. G. Chamberlain, the late J. Radley, M.A., F.S.A., and I. R. Pattison, B.A.; by our photographers Mr. W. C. Light and Mr. C. J. Bassham, by our draughtsman Mr. A. R. Whittaker, and by Mrs. J. Bryant, who helped with the editorial work throughout.

11. We desire to add that our Secretary and General Editor, Mr. A. R. Dufty, C.B.E., F.S.A., A.R.I.B.A., has afforded constant assistance to us Your Commissioners.

12. The record cards for York may be consulted by accredited persons who give notice of their intention to the Secretary of the Commission. Copies of photographs may be bought on application to the National Monuments Record.

13. The next Inventory of the Monuments in the City of York will be devoted to the monuments outside the city walls, E. of the river Ouse.

Signed:

Salisbury (Chairman)

Kenneth Hargreaves

H. C. Darby

C. A. Ralegh Radford

John Summerson

Francis Wormald

H. M. Colvin

D. B. Harden

W. A. Pantin

A. J. Taylor

W.F. Grimes

M. W. Barley

S. S. Frere

R. J. C. Atkinson

John Betjeman

J. N. L. Myres

A. R. Dufty (Secretary)