Picking up from where I left off with my first drawing of Micklegate, this one records the buildings from 34 to 84 as the street winds its way further towards York. Micklegate is a living archaeological site – there is so much history layered into the fabric of the street since Roman times. My drawings just record what I saw at the time of drawing (2018). As usual, I’m always interested to hear any insights into the history of these buildings but for starters, I’ve included some quotes from two websites which have quite a bit of information on the buildings of Micklegate.
So, let’s start with no’s 82 and 84 and an extract from British Listed Buildings Online:
” c1822, with late C19 and C20 shopfronts. By Peter Atkinson jnr. Pink and cream mottled brick in Flemish bond at front and English garden-wall bond at rear, with red brick dressings; timber eaves cornice at front; to slate roof with three brick stacks rising through front and rear roof pitches.“
From the website: British-history “Nos. 74, 76, is of mid 18th-century origin though the only evidence of this is the brickwork and band of the upper storeys of the street front. Early in the 19th century, the building was divided into two separate dwellings, at first of equal size since the rate assessment was £5 on each moiety in 1822. Further alterations probably took place then, for from 1823 onwards the assessment on No. 74, occupied by the owner, Harman Richardson, butter and bacon factor, was £6, while that of No. 76, sublet to a succession of tenants, was £4 10s. By this time a shop had doubtless been formed in the ground floor of No. 74. The building was altered again in the late 19th or early 20th century.
The street front is of three storeys. The first-floor windows of No. 74 retain original arches of single rubbed bricks and red brick dressings; all the other windows were more or less altered c. 1900, and the shop fronts are also of this period.
Ken Spelman’s bookshop has been going since 1948. There is something otherworldly about antiquarian booksellers – like stepping into a time capsule. I’m so pleased to see it is still here and hope it will survive these strange times.
“Nos. 70, 72, includes in the front range remnants of a two-storey, late 15th to early 16th-century timber-framed house; a third storey and attics were added in the 17th century. A middle range is of the 16th century, and a block to the N. is of the early 19th century. The property was refronted to Micklegate c. 1823, when the house was empty for part of the year and the assessment was raised (Rate Books of St. Martincum-Gregory). Over a long period from 1802 the premises were occupied by Christopher Simpson, a saddler, but parts of the property were sublet. In 1825, when Simpson mortgaged the freehold, he was stated to have recently converted the former tenements into one house (YCA, E.95, f. 262; E.97, f. 213v.).
The street front (Plate 60) is of fine dull red brick with markedly thin mortar joints; the two shops on the ground floor are modern. The two first-floor bow windows have moulded framing with moulded paterae, plain friezes and simple cornices. At the W. end is a contemporary moulded and fluted rainwater head.” Further information on the history of the interior on British-History website.
I am glad to see there’s a Sharp on Micklegate – my maiden name or my York name. There is some background to the building on the British-history website where it shows it was once home to a glasspainter, stonemason, druggists and surgeon:
“No. 68, was built in the mid 17th century; an entrance hall archway, the fine staircase, and possibly the cellar doorway are of this period. In the early 19th century the upper storey was added and most of the house remodelled. Edmund Gyles (1611–76), the glasspainter, and his more famous son, Henry Gyles (1645– 1709), lived here (Davies, 171–2); later occupants were William Stead junior, stonemason (d. 1823), Thomas and William Kirby, druggists (Rate Books, Directories), and George Hornby, surgeon (Davies, 175).
“The street front, three-storeyed, is in stucco-rendered brick; it has a modern shop front and, to W., a doorway of c. 1800, with Roman Doric pilasters, glazed fanlight, and door of four fielded panels. Above the entrance is a four-light casement with raised moulded architrave, and over the shop front a Victorian bay window. In the upper storey are two casements, with raised moulded architraves and plain sills. There are moulded bands to both first and second floors, and a moulded cornice. The back elevation, originally two-storeyed, of the late 17th century, has an added early 19th-century storey with a pediment-like gable containing a central bull’s-eye window. The original windows were replaced at this time.” more information provided on the British-History website.
“Nos.62, 64 AND 66 Listed grade II. House and shop. c1840. Pink mottled brick in Flemish bond on painted stone plinth, with timber eaves cornice on grooved brackets; Welsh slate roof with brick stacks at each end.” British Listed Buildings online
From the website British-history “Nos. 58, 60, includes a large house built in the late 18th century on the E. two-thirds of the site; this was refronted c. 1830–40 when an older house to W. was rebuilt, giving a uniform elevation to Micklegate. The dentilled brick cornice at the back suggests that the earlier part was designed by the firm of Carr.
The front elevation to Micklegate, of three storeys, is in large pinkish-white bricks; the roof is of Welsh slate. Two shop fronts are probably of c. 1830–40, each flanked by fluted pilasters, and each with a house doorway to the W. Each of the upper floors has four hung-sash windows and above is a moulded cornice on coupled gutter-brackets.”
From the website British-history “No. 56, is mainly of the second half of the 18th century, but there are remains of an earlier structure, probably of the 17th century; a shop front was inserted in the late 19th century. It is of three storeys and attics, built in brick with modern pantiled roof. The property was bought from Christopher Rawdon in 1747 (E.93, f. 197) by John Bradley, apothecary (d. 1775), who probably carried out extensive rebuilding before his term as Sheriff in 1755–6. After his death it was the home of his widow Antonia (d. 1777) and her sister Catherine Marshall (d. 1779). Later the house was occupied by tenants, including the Misses Mary and Ann Brickland, who carried on a girls’ boarding school here from 1823 for some 10 years.”
The second half of this drawing will be posted soon. In the meantime, if you would like to see the drawing in full please visit my website or you can see the limited edition print available here in my Etsy shop.
Thanks for reading!
Ronnie
Drawing the Detail 
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