1, MINSTER GATES (See details for further address information)

A complex town building formerly comprising three separate properties at Nos. 81, 82 and 83 High Petergate, now forming two shops with a flat above. The structure originates from the 15th century, was raised to greater height in the 16th century, substantially remodelled in the late 18th century, and further altered in the early 19th century with subsequent changes.

The original timber-framed building was re-fronted in buff-brown brick laid in Flemish bond during the 18th-century remodelling. A timber shopfront and cornice are fitted, with a brick stack serving the hipped pantile roof.

Exterior

The building rises four storeys and presents a 2-bay front to Minster Gates and a 7-bay front to High Petergate.

On the Minster Gates elevation, the shopfront displays a glazed and panelled door to the left and a flush panelled door to the right (now blocked by an electricity box), flanking a 28-pane shop window and flush panelled riser beneath a semi-elliptical radial glazed fanlight. The shopfront is framed in sunk-panel pilasters with paired acanthus brackets at the head, a flat cornice, and reeded spandrels around the fanlight.

The High Petergate front features similar shop surrounds with paired shop windows of 24 panes on each side of a 6-panel door with diagonally glazed overlight. The fanlights are generally enriched with applied mouldings; those above doors are decorated with rosette wreaths, two enclosing the words "Stationery" and "Prints". At the angle between the two fronts stands an inset fluted column with foliate capital supporting a carving of Minerva, dated 1801, which advertises the premises of John Wolstenholme, bookseller.

At the left end of the Petergate front, two further shops maintain separate fronts. One features reeded pilasters framing a plate glass window over a boarded riser, with a glazed and panelled door and overlight beneath. Further left is a door of six raised and fielded panels beneath a divided overlight, all beneath a dentilled moulded cornice. The adjacent shop, now incorporated with No. 1 Minster Yard, has a small-pane canted bay window in brick blocking, also beneath a moulded cornice.

Above the shopfronts, the Petergate elevation displays 12-pane sash windows on the first and second floors, with the central examples set in moulded architraves; the first-floor windows have a pediment and the second-floor windows have a cornice. Third-floor windows are squat 6-pane sashes. All windows feature painted stone sills and flat arches of orange gauged brick. Above these, 12-pane sash windows appear to the left of the first and second floors (the second-floor example being blind), whilst tall 8-pane sashes occupy the right side; third-floor openings are blocked. A dentilled and modillioned moulded cornice runs across both fronts.

Interior

The ground floor front room facing Minster Gates retains three doorcases with beaded cornices, one incorporating an attached mask; a second mask is positioned between windows. The second room contains a shallow elliptical dome with moulded surround carried on four columns with acanthus capitals. The third room features a plain fireplace with flat shelf and a mid-19th-century grate; within a cupboard to the right, one 18th-century shaped shelf survives.

The straight staircase to the first floor, altered in the early 18th century, has a close string, thick turned balusters, a square newel with attached half baluster, and a ramped-up moulded handrail. A second winder staircase rising to the third floor has a renewed lowest flight with stick balusters, above which are slender turned balusters with a flat, steeply ramped handrail. At the rear of No. 38 High Petergate, a quarter-turn staircase to the third floor features a close string, slender turned balusters, column newels, and a ramped-up moulded handrail.

The first-floor front room contains three doorways, two with 6-beaded-panel doors, and two windows with fluted architraves and rosettes. At the rear is a wide niche with an elliptical arch. The room over No. 38 holds a fireplace with moulded surround, fluted frieze, and dentilled moulded cornice shelf. According to Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England records, fielded panelling was present, though none was visible during inspection.

The second-floor front room, now subdivided, features a fireplace with sunk-panelled jambs, frieze, and overmantel, with a moulded shelf and cornice on console brackets. A second room is lined entirely with early 17th-century square panelling incorporating fireplace and overmantel panels of incised arches between fluted baluster columns with moulded caps; a panelled cupboard door on cockshead hinges is positioned to the right, with a moulded cornice above. The room over No. 38 has a plain fireplace with moulded cornice shelf.

Fragments of timber-framing remain visible, principally on the second floor in the original rear wall; the spine and cross beams are mostly cased.