Abbots Staith Buildings

WATER LANE 1. ---------- 5342 Abbot's Staith Buildings (formely listed under SE 6132 NE 2/10 16.12.52 The Quay)

II*

1. C15 or early C16. Magnesian limestone ashlar. Two storeys. H-shaped plan, with a long centre arm; but this plan is obscured on the Micklegate side, by the addition in the C19 of the buildings now occupied by the office and shop of Woodheads Seeds Limited, and by the Pendulum Club. On the Micklegate (south) side the upper storey of the east wing was rebuilt in red brick in the C19, and the upper storey of the west wing is missing. On the north side the first floor of the central arm may perhaps have been timber-framed, as it has been refaced in red brick above a red brick band in the late C17 or early C18 (although this brick has been patched subsequently): Chamfered plinth. The dating evidence comes from the first floor windows on the south side, which have deep double-chamfered embrasures. One in the east wing is visible from the street. Another, with a hood-mould and an inserted lintel, the easternmost of those in the centre arm, is only partly obscured by the buildings added along the Micklegate side. There are three more only visible from behind these buildings. Other windows are modern. On the north side there are two doors which may be contemporary. One in the centre has a shouldered lintel, and the other is in the east wing. Both are studded and have contemporary iron hinges and latches. Internally there are thick limestone diaphragm walls at regular intervals. History: Traditionally supposed to have been built by the Abbey, the architectural evidence tends to support this. In use as warehousing certainly from the C17, and probably always, it is presumably the building described by Pocock in list thus: "Near the river is a large store house of hewn stone, which served for their cloth before the Aire was made navigable". The latter took place in 1704. A.M.

Listing NGR: SE6158932555