General Post Office

YORK

SE6051NW LENDAL 1112-1/28/552 (South West side) No.22 General Post Office

GV II

Post office. Dated 1884; late C20 alteration. By H Tanner. Orange brick in Flemish bond on moulded plinth of sandstone ashlar; frontispiece, dressings and copings of ashlar; slate roof with terracotta cresting, brick panelled stacks and ogee-capped cupola with finials. EXTERIOR: 2-storey 5-bay range, two intermediate bays gabled; 2-storey crosswing to right, 3-storey crosswing to left, both gabled and projecting slightly; at left end, one 3-storey bay. Plinth incorporates blocked square-headed basement openings. Central 1-storey frontispiece framed in diagonally set buttresses with corbelled-out heads beneath fascia with 'POST OFFICE' carved in relief: original entrance, now blocked, in segment-headed moulded surround ornamented with Tudor flower bosses. Flanking windows and those on second floor are of 2 lights, intermediate windows on second floor rising into gables. Original rainwater goods have blind Gothick-arcaded hoppers on stone brackets. Ground floor of right crosswing treated as screen of ashlar with stepped-up hoodmould. Doorway has panelled double doors in moulded surround with 4-centred head and foliate spandrels, beneath carved ribbon with incised legend AD ERECTED 1884 and band of blind trefoiled panels. On either side are tall 2-light windows. First floor window is of 3 lights, beneath stopped hoodmould and segmental relieving arch. Left crosswing has ground floor windows of 2 and 3 cinquefoiled lights grouped beneath common hoodmould: on first floor, 3-light oriel with moulded sill and cornice between tall 1-light windows: on second floor, 5-light window beneath stopped hood. End left bay has panelled folding doors in square-headed hollow chamfered doorway with 4-centred arch on 2 orders of jamb shafts with moulded capitals and blind traceried spandrels. First and second floor windows are of 2 lights, first floor one taller. Windows are mullioned, some transomed, generally 1-pane sashes, in ashlar square-headed quoined surrounds with sloped sills. Full width moulded string and band beneath first floor windows. Moulded eaves coping continued across left crosswing and end bay as second floor string course. INTERIOR: not inspected.

Listing NGR: SE6013351937