Description

YORK

SE6051SE CASTLE PRECINCT
1112-1/22/132 Castle Museum: The Debtors' Prison
14/06/54
(Formerly Listed as:
CASTLE PRECINCT
The Debtors' Prison (The Castle
Museum))

GV I

Formerly known as: The Old Prison CASTLE PRECINCT.
County Gaol and Debtors' Prison, now museum. 1701-1705;
altered during extensions of 1824-35; modified for conversion
to museum c1950, and pediments rebuilt and strengthened in
1966. Possibly by William Wakefield.
MATERIALS: front of limestone ashlar, with ashlar parapet and
pediments reinforced with concrete. Rear and returns have
upper storeys faced in red brick, returns in Flemish bond,
rear in English garden wall bond, on ashlar ground floor;
pilasters, entablature and dressings of ashlar; parapet of
brick with ashlar coping. Roofs of lead and slate, and ashlar
clock turret with timber cupola.
EXTERIOR: 3-storey, 3-bay central range, flanked by projecting
3-storey 5-bay wings. Ground floor to all parts is rusticated
on chamfered plinth, and forms podium to giant Roman Doric
pilasters rising from raised first floor band to entablature
with prominent moulded cornice. In centre bay, rusticated
central round arch with dropped double keystone is flanked by
coupled rusticated pilasters carrying triglyph frieze. Plain
entablature to wings, beneath massive segmental pediments.
Centre range has central door of 6 incised panels in stepped
surround with keyed lintel: at each end are original bolection
moulded doorways with dropped keyblock lintels, altered to
2-light barred windows. Original ground floor windows, stepped
back beneath flat arches of radiating voussoirs, survive to
fronts of wings and return of left wing. In right wing return
parts of two original bolection moulded doorways remain, and
one original 2-light barred window. Chamfered plinth band
forms window sill band, stepped up over door openings.
First floor windows generally 2-light small-pane cross
windows, with one 24-pane sash in centre of right wing front,
and one 18-pane sash in wing return: centre window in centre
range has sunk-panel apron. Second floor windows are squat, of
2 lights, some sashes, some casements, centre one in centre
range round-arched with radial glazed head. All windows have
bolection moulded architraves with dropped keyblocks and
moulded sills, extended to form sill band interrupted by
pilasters, on wing fronts.
Centre range surmounted by square clock turret and octagonal
cupola flanked by volutes. Surround to clock face is moulded,
and cupola is arcaded with keyed round arch on imposts to each

face: dome above moulded cornice is finished with ball finial
and weathervane. Plentiful rainwater goods, with inverted bell
hoppers embossed with winged cherubs, and fleur-de-lys clamps.
Rear: 3-storey 9-window front. On ground floor windows are
2x6-pane fixed lights behind massive iron grilles, over
chamfered sill band. On first floor, former doorway at left
end, originally approached by external stair, altered to
24-pane sash; other windows are small-pane cross windows as on
front. On second floor, 7 windows are 2x8-pane fixed lights,
with, towards right end, two altered to sashes. All first and
second floor openings have plain keyed surrounds with moulded
sills. Plain first floor band. 7 sets of rainwater goods as
those on main front.
Left return: 3 storeys, 5 windows arranged 2:1:2. Rusticated
ground floor on chamfered plinth, with raised first floor band
at base of giant pilasters clasping outer angles and flanking
centre bay. Ground floor openings altered, but at left end
original door and window openings survive, detailed as on main
front. First and second floor windows repeat those on main
front, in plain keyed surrounds with moulded sills and aprons.
Moulded cornice over first floor windows breaks forward and
incorporates window keyblocks. Entablature has moulded cornice
beneath parapet, interrupted by ashlar pedestals over
pilasters, with moulded coping.
Right return: 3 storeys, 5 bays, with irregular fenestration.
On ground floor, heavy nail studded door with original door
furniture, in raised tooled surround, in centre: altered
windows generally small-paned, behind iron grilles, some in
chamfered surrounds. On first floor, blocked former doorway in
hacked-back surround at left end; windows are mainly of 2
lights, generally cross, in plain raised surrounds with
keyblocks, some retaining moulded sills. Second floor largely
obscured. Raised first floor band. Entablature returned from
main front and rear but interrupted across return.
INTERIOR: 2 early C18 staircases survive, one in east wing
from ground to second floor, second in centre range, from
first floor to clock turret: both have close string, thick
column balusters, square newels and flat moulded handrail.
Lower stair in centre range is cast-iron, with thick square
section balusters and flat moulded handrail. In west wing,
inserted staircase from ground to second floor has stone
treads, turned balusters, newels and swept handrail of
cast-iron. Ground floor passages and cells are vaulted and
groined. Doorways are chamfered in tooled surrounds, many
retaining original doors. Fittings in the condemned cell
retained, comprising plain stone fireplace with tooled shelf
and cast-iron grate, iron bed frame raised on stone blocks and
stone table with charcoal cooker hole. Several heavy iron
grille doors survive in passages. In wing to right, the
stepped and moulded cornice of former 2-storey chapel is
visible on second floor.
(An Inventory of the Historical Monuments in the City of York:
RCHME: The Defences: HMSO: 1972-: 78-82).

Listing NGR: SE6053651369

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• York Debtor's Prison at Wikipedia
• Wikidata Q17530660

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  [(Bedfordshire, Huntingdon and Peterborough)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1968)
• 
  Maintaining and Repairing Old Houses: A Guide to Conservation, Sustainability and Economy
• 
  Suffolk: West: The Buildings of England (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Surrey (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)