12-14 Gowthorpe

Three shops, formerly The George Hotel, early- to mid-C19 with C19, C20 and C21 alterations and extensions.

MATERIALS: stuccoed brick, colour-washed front elevation and fair-faced brick rear elevation, with a gabled roof clad in Welsh slates.

PLAN: rectangular plan.

EXTERIOR: the front elevation is of three storeys and five bays. Changes in the brickwork to the rear elevation show that the second floor is an addition in red brick. The ground floor is occupied by three late-C20 shop units with modern C19-style shop fronts with glazed doors and oblong fanlights set in doorcases, Tuscan piers, entablature and moulded capitals supporting a plain fascia. Large plate-glass shop windows are set between the piers; the second bay from the left is occupied by a former three-centred early-C19 carriage arch, with finely chamfered moulded piers and imposts. The fifth bay to the right-hand end has canted modern shop windows set within Tuscan piers with a central glazed doorway occupying the base of an early- to mid-C19 two-storey canted bay with a moulded cornice on paired brackets and moulded scroll console brackets. The first floor has four two-light mid- to late-C19 sash windows with plain raised architraves on moulded brackets and moulded cornices on decorative scroll console brackets. The second floor has five identical windows beneath a stuccoed modillioned eaves cornice. The east and west gables are both colour-washed and have brick chimney stacks at their apex; the pitched slate roof also has two ridge chimneys, all have moulded brick cornices and a pair of yellow drawing chimney pots.

The right-hand pier of the carriage arch has a cast plaque attached to it, which reads: ‘YE FRATERNITIE OF / OLDE SELEBIANS / YE FRATERNITIE OF OLDE SELEBIANS WAS / FOUNDED ON THIS SITE, THE FORMER GEORGE HOTEL, / ON THE 10TH JANUARY 1821. / THE OBJECTIVES OF THE FOUNDERS WERE TO PROMOTE, / CULTIVATE AND DEVELOP THE WELFARE OF SELBY / AND ITS INHABITANTS, WHILST PRESERVING ITS / HERITAGE AND OLD AND VALUED FRIENDSHIPS. / THESE OBJECTIVES CONTINUE TO BE PRACTISED / BY THE FRANTERNITIE AND ITS MEMBERS / TO THIS DAY. / FLOREAT SELEBIA.’