Mount Parade, York

If you are a fan of Georgian streets, then Mount Parade is a treasure waiting for you if you ever visit York. I had no idea it was here until the gentleman you see strolling to the right of this drawing mentioned it to me. He had what I thought might be a musician’s briefcase over one shoulder and was carrying a raincoat over his arm.

That day I was sketching The Mount (round the corner) and taking photos.  He stopped to have a brief conversation with me which led to me drawing this street. I will get back to drawing the Mount but the Parade was waiting for me.  If he ever stumbles across this post – I would like to thank him for taking that minute to pause and speak to me. It’s something I notice more and more, how a moment of what seems barely conversational chit-chat can have a lasting reach. I love it!

I was twelve years old and probably cycling past this street to school when a publication by Her Majesty’s Stationery Office in 1972 appeared ‘An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in City of York, Volume 3, South west.    The following extract gives us a little insight into this street:

‘MOUNT PARADE, laid out in 1823, seems to have been the earliest example in York of a new type of development, the suburban road planned for genteel residences. The little terrace faces S.W., with a series of small front gardens towards the roadway. Building proceeded slowly, and only nine houses were occupied by 1830: five by gentry, one by a coach-guard and one by a stone and marble mason as his private house. Some houses were not finished until c. 1840. Cumberland House, on the S.W. side of the Parade, was built c. 1834′  (This free content was digitised by double rekeying and sponsored by English Heritage).

All these buildings are grade 2* listed. As always, I would love to hear from you if you have any further insights into their histories.

As always, thanks for passing this time with me!

Ronnie