44 And 46, Stonegate

Nos. 44 and 46 Stonegate, York

Two adjoining houses, now converted to shops and tea rooms, of 15th-century origin with significant 18th and 19th-century alterations.

The front range dates to the 15th century and was refronted in the mid-18th century, then raised in the mid-19th century. A 15th-century range at the rear of No. 44 was linked to the front range in the mid-18th century and remodelled in the early 19th century. No. 46 has 18th and 20th-century extensions to the rear.

The buildings are timber-framed, fronted in orange-grey brick laid in Flemish bond, with the raised sections in orange brick in random bond. Orange brick quoins and window arches are present, along with a timber cornice and timber shopfront featuring cast-iron glazing bars. The rear ranges are encased in orange-red brick in random bond, with the rear block of No. 46 in red brick laid in Flemish bond. Both buildings have pantile roofs with brick stacks and timber modillioned guttering.

The street frontage is three storeys and five bays. Both shopfronts are framed in sunk-panelled pilasters with carved imposts beneath plain friezes and enriched cornices on elongated leaf consoles. The shopfronts date to the early 19th century, though they have been altered later in that century. No. 44 has a glazed flush-panel door with overlight between two three-light plate glass windows with roller blinds. No. 46 features a shallow small-pane bow window beneath a segmental fanlight with moulded glazing bars, a glazed shop door to the right beneath an oval fanlight with beaded radiating glazing bars, and a six-panelled passage door to the left with a blind semicircular fanlight also featuring beaded radiating glazing bars.

Upper floor windows are 12-pane sashes except for two 4-pane sashes at the right end of the second floor, all with narrow sills and flat arches of gauged brick. A 4-course raised brick band marks the second floor. The timber wall plate is visible above the second floor windows. A central passage leads to a small court enclosed by rear wings serving both shops.

At the rear, No. 44 has a door beneath a divided overlight to the left of a tripartite window with 16-pane centre sash and 6-panel doors. First floor windows are 12-pane sashes, some retaining original glazing bars and some with segmental brick arches, with a 16-pane sash on the second floor. Three-course and 4-course raised brick bands mark the floors. The rear block of No. 46 has a through passage to the right of a six-panel door, both in round-arched openings, with 20th-century windows and 3- and 4-course raised brick bands.

The rear elevation shows No. 44 as two-storey and two-windowed beneath a plain parapet, to the right of a projecting three-storey gabled wing belonging to No. 46. The two-storey section has a window of tripled 19th-century sashes beneath a wide segmental one-course brick arch to the right of a passage arch, with an altered Venetian window on the first floor, its 16-pane sash set in a round-headed centre light.

Interior of No. 44: The staircase from ground to second floor has close strings, slender turned balusters, a bulbous newel and heavy ramped handrail, with a matching moulded dado rail. Both half-landings have 17th-century panelled doors on L-hinges. The ground floor middle room has a fireplace with fluted jambs, paterae, frieze and round-headed grate. The first floor front room displays moulded beams and wall plates, with a fireplace enriched with composition ornament. The middle room features dado panelling of re-used run-through type. The rear room has a fireplace enriched with composition ornament and a door, doorcase, cupboard door and architrave carved with leaf and rosette motifs.

Interior of No. 46: The staircase from ground floor to attic has close string, turned balusters, square newels with attached half balusters and moulded ramped handrail. Some timber-framing is visible on the second floor. The first floor front room has a fireplace with moulded jambs and frieze, angle roundels and hob grate with fluted side pieces, together with reeded door architraves with angle roundels. The second floor front room has a blocked 18th-century fireplace with cornice shelf and a cupboard door of run-through panelling on H-hinges.