Observatory is a Grade II listed building in the York local planning authority area, England. First listed on 2 November 1972. Observatory.
Observatory
- WRENN ID
- woven-joist-rowan
- Grade
- II
- Local Planning Authority
- York
- Constituency
- York Central MP: Rachael Maskell (Lab)
- Country
- England
- Date first listed
- 2 November 1972
- Type
- Observatory
- Address
- Observatory, Museum Gardens
- OS grid reference
- SE 599 520
- Coordinates
- 53.96123, -1.08802
- Source
- Historic England listing
Description
The Observatory, built between 1832 and 1833 and restored in 1981, is a significant structure located in York. It was designed for the Yorkshire Philosophical Society, featuring a telescope created by Thomas Cooke of York and a rotating conical roof designed by John Smeaton. The building is constructed from magnesian limestone ashlar and topped with a lead roof.
The Observatory has an octagonal shape set on a shallow plinth, with a basement and two storeys. The lower storey features a moulded cornice, while the upper storey is set back. The entrance door consists of four flush panels. On the ground floor, each alternate face has a 12-pane sash window with slender glazing bars, and the upper storey contains two-light casement windows. The openings throughout the building are chamfered.
Although the interior was not inspected, it is noted that the Observatory was built after the inaugural meeting of the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1831. The restoration in 1981 celebrated the Association's 150th anniversary. For many years, the telescope housed within was the largest refracting telescope in the world.
Local climate
Observatory receives an average of 750 mm of rain a year. This makes it drier than 69% of listed buildings in the UK. Its exposure to wind-driven rain is lower than that of 89% of listed buildings.
It experiences an average of 43 freeze-thaw cycles a year, more than 81% of listed buildings. Of these, 22 follow at least 1 mm of rain in the preceding 48 hours. Average temperatures at this location have risen by 0.3°C per decade since 1991.
Averages for 1991–2020; temperature trend 1991–2025. Figures describe the wider area (a grid cell of roughly 10 km), not the individual site. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
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