2, 3, 4, And 4A, Precentors Court

This listing describes a row of four houses located at 2, 3, 4, and 4A Precentor's Court in York, built in the early 18th century with later changes to the windows. The houses are constructed of red brick in random bond, set on a high chamfered brick plinth, and feature a moulded timber eaves band. The tiled roof has half-hipped dormers that include 2-light casement windows and brick stacks, one of which is partly rendered and another that has been rebuilt to match the original diagonal design.

The buildings are two storeys high, with a semi-basement and attics, and they present a 13-bay front. The semi-basement windows have timber lintels and most are fitted with iron grilles, with one window still retaining a wooden shutter. The doors for Nos 2 and 3 consist of three bolection moulded panels, while the door leading to the passage for Nos 4 and 4A has three moulded panels. Access to the doors is via stone steps, and the doors for Nos 3 and the passage feature 2-pane overlights.

No. 2 has a 16-pane sash window to the left of its door, a 12-pane sash to the right, and an inserted unequal 6-pane sash on the ground floor to the right. The remaining windows are mullioned and transomed casements: No. 3 has two pairs of 2x6-pane windows on the ground floor and three 2x3-pane windows in original frames on the first floor; No. 4 features two cross windows with square leaded lights in original frames on both floors; and No. 4A has two 2x6-pane windows on the ground floor and three 2x3-pane windows on the first floor. All windows have flat arches of gauged brick, although the ground floor windows are now rendered. The ground floor windows are shuttered, with Nos 2 and 3 having flush panelled shutters, while Nos 4 and 4A have shutters with two sunk panels. The first-floor windows are set on brick sills, and there is a 3-course stepped brick band at the first floor level.

The interiors have not been inspected, but records from the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England indicate that each house originally had its own staircase. The staircases for Nos 2 and 3 feature bulbous balusters, while those for Nos 4 and 4A have splat balusters. The original doors and doorcases remain, along with original fireplaces that include late 18th-century cast-iron grates. Notably, No. 4 has a ground floor room with bolection moulded paneling, a dado, and hidden cupboards on one wall.