70 And 72, Micklegate

The building at 70 and 72 Micklegate is a house, now comprising two shops and a flat. Its front range likely dates to the 16th century and was raised in the 17th century. A parallel range was added to the rear in the 17th century, followed by early 19th-century alterations, rear extensions, and a refronting. Early 20th-century shopfronts were added, followed by later alterations, partial demolition, and rebuilding of rear extensions around 1970 and 1980.

The front range is timber-framed, but was refronted in the 17th century with red brick in a Flemish bond pattern. It has a timber eaves cornice on paired brackets and a slate roof with brick end stacks. A surviving rear extension is constructed of mottled brick in a stretcher bond pattern, with a pantile roof.

The front facade is of three stories and two windows. The shopfronts feature paired plate glass windows between small-pane glazed doors with leaded fanlights, surmounted by a massive concave cornice incorporating blind boxes. The original “rising sun” fanlight is preserved in No. 72, while No. 70 has a radial-glazed replacement. First-floor windows are shallow bows with reeded frames, plain friezes with angle roundels, and 12-pane centre sashes. The second floor has unequal 9-pane sashes with painted stone sills and flat arches of gauged brick. A fluted, inverted bell-shaped rainwater head is located at the left end of the eaves cornice.

Inside No. 70, the ground floor of the 19th-century extension contains a late 19th-century cast-iron fire grate in a painted stone surround with a moulded cornice shelf. The front room on the first floor has reeded door and window surrounds with roundel angle blocks, and a similar painted stone fire surround with a plain shelf. A close-string staircase leads to the attic, featuring stick balusters, a turned newel, and a ramped-up moulded handrail. On the second floor, a circa 1700 three-panel door has been reused beneath the staircase, while 6-panel doors lead to the front and back rooms. The front room on this floor has a moulded Art Nouveau fire surround. The attic contains 17th-century grooved panelled doors to the front rooms. Access to No. 72 is not available. Historic records mention a staircase with a moulded rail, plank string, and square balusters. Two Carron fire grates are present: a basket grate in the first floor back room decorated with musical instruments, doves, scrolls, and rabbits within a plain surround, and a hob grate decorated with the Prince of Wales feathers. The attic front room has a fireplace with a reeded and moulded surround, a pulvinated reeded frieze, a cornice, and a shaped mantelshelf. Exposed timber framing and studding are visible in the rear and left partition walls.