55 And 57A, Goodramgate

A pair of early 18th-century houses on Goodramgate, York, later altered in the 19th and 20th centuries and now occupied as a restaurant and shop. The front is of orange-brown brick in Flemish bond on number 55, and rendered on number 57A. Both have timber cornices and shop fronts, and hipped pantile roofs with brick stacks.

Number 55 has a shop window and door with a divided overlight on the ground floor. Number 57A has a glazed double door recessed to the left of a plate glass window. The shop fronts flank a passage opening, now closed by an iron gate. Number 55 has two 12-pane sash windows on the first floor, with flat arches of gauged brick, and two-light casements on the second floor. Number 57A has three single-pane sashes on both floors, taller on the first floor, within plain raised surrounds and painted sills. There is a heavy, moulded, modillioned cornice extending across the entire front.

The rear passage has a round-headed arch with a moulded keyblock. Number 55 has an inserted bow window opening on to the passage. The ground floor of number 57A is obscured by extensions to an adjacent property.

The interior of number 57A, the only part inspected, includes a close string staircase with turned balusters and a flat, moulded handrail ramped up to square newels with attached half balusters; a similar staircase was also recorded at number 55.