Crowle House

Crowle House is a warehouse and offices occupying a prominent position on the High Street in Kingston upon Hull. The building incorporates part of a 17th-century house designed by William Catlyn, and comprises construction dated to 1664 and 1849, with late 18th-century additions and alterations. It was restored in 1981.

The building is constructed of brick with painted ashlar dressings, a slate roof with a single gable stack, an ashlar plinth, wooden gutter and brackets.

The main front elevation faces High Street and displays four storeys plus a basement. Windows throughout have segmental heads and brick flat arches. The principal range is four windows wide, with plain sashes to the second and third floors and smaller six-pane sashes to the fourth floor. The ground floor contains three plain sashes to the left and a round-arched entrance to the right with a 20th-century iron gate and grille. The basement features a barred segment-headed opening.

The right return is particularly significant, containing an off-centre recess that preserves the original 17th-century house front. This section displays plaques inscribed with the initials of George and Eleanor Crowle and the date 1664. The return elevation rises four storeys with a three-window range and a renewed coped parapet. A projecting central entrance bay dominates this elevation, flanked by brick pilasters with Corinthian capitals and diamond and jewel enrichment. The first floor contains a 12-pane sash with keystone above a tympanum holding a lozenge with an inscribed device. Either side feature round-arched blank openings containing similar lozenges, all with keystones and decorated spandrels. Above sit a 12-pane sash flanked by smaller blanks with brick flat arches and keystones. At ground level, a central brick doorcase with semicircular lead hood houses a 20th-century door and fanlight.

The left return contains a 12-pane sash on the lower floors and a six-pane casement to the fourth floor. The right return displays segment-headed casements on three floors.

To the left stands a mid-19th-century block, four storeys tall with a four-window range. A plinth and first-floor band run across the facade. The first floor features a tripartite sash with three 12-pane sashes to its right. Above are three similar sashes, followed by a similar sash and three two-light casements on the top floor. The ground floor contains a six-panel double door with overlight and sidelights, flanked by single eight-pane sashes, with a 12-pane sash and an eight-pane sash further to the right.

Beyond this lies a projecting three-storey block with glazed doors on each right side floor and three segment-headed casements to the left, with barred casements to the ground floor. Adjacent to this is a recessed three-storey block displaying patterned wall ties and brick sills with segment-headed windows. The upper floors contain five nine-pane casements each; the ground floor has a similar window to the left flanked by single segment-headed board doors with glazing bar overlights, and two nine-pane casements to the right.

The interior features in the front range a late 18th-century wooden dogleg stair with turned balusters, an octagonal newel and a ramped scrolled handrail.

The house was built for Alderman George Crowle, the home of the prominent Crowle family for many years. George Crowle was one of Hull's wealthiest merchants in the mid to late 17th century, trading with the Low Countries, Scandinavia and the Baltic. He served as Sheriff of Hull in 1657 and Mayor in 1661 and 1679, and founded an almshouse in Sewer Lane in 1661.

William Catlyn, the bricklayer-architect responsible for the original house, also designed Wilberforce House on High Street, Hull.