Description

YORK

SE6051NW ST HELEN'S SQUARE
1112-1/28/935 (North West side)
01/07/68 No.1
Yorkshire Insurance Company and
railings attached to front

GV II

Office building, incorporating entry arch to Breary's Court;
railings attached to front. 1846-47, with later alteration. By
GT Andrews for The Yorkshire Insurance Company. Ashlar
sandstone with rusticated quoins; conjoined cornice stacks of
ashlar to shallow pitched hipped roof of slate, and 2-light
dormers, gabled alternately with segmental and triangular
pediments.
STYLE: Italianate.
EXTERIOR: 2 storeys, basement plinth and attic; 5 bay front,
with passage arch in additional bay at right end. Moulded
plinth band broken by plain raised surrounds to 16-pane
basement windows behind iron grilles and partly blocked by
paved area. Central porch of squat Doric columns on tall
pedestals supporting full entablature, approached by 5 moulded
stone steps: round-arched double doors are panelled in quoined
architrave with console keyblock. Windows on first and second
floors are unequal 15-pane sashes, those on ground floor in
eared architraves with cornice hoods and moulded sills on
consoles tied by plain sill band; on second floor in
architraves with moulded sill band and alternately segmental
and triangular pediments on consoles: beneath centre window is
shallow balustrade. Moulded first floor band. Broad frieze
beneath prominent dentil and modillion cornice. Frieze
inscribed: "YORKSHIRE INSURANCE COMPANY ESTABLISHED
MDCCXXIIII". Right end bay has round arch on ground floor with
rusticated soffit and moulded imposts, and one 15-pane sash on
first floor.
Lendal front: 3 storeys and basement; 5 bays. Basement
treatment as for main front, with blocked windows. 4-panel
door and margin-glazed overlight in tall architrave to left of
5 unequal 15-pane sashes; windows on first floor are 12-pane
sashes, on second floor unequal 9-pane sashes. Ground and
first floor windows have moulded sill band, on second floor a
plain sill band. Moulded eaves cornice on modillions, returned
at rear. Front railings and standards are turned with spear
tips and furled bud finials.
INTERIOR: original interior survives intact. Main staircase
has cast-iron vine scroll balustrade. Main ground floor office
has round and square Doric columns, plaster panelled walls and
moulded cornice, plus original mahogany counters, panelling
and doors. On first floor, former Board Room has panelled
walls and plaster ceiling cornice and rose, with a fine C18
style marble fireplace with Ionic columns. Another room has

door and window architraves enriched with pellet mouldings and
lion mask paterae.
SUBSIDIARY FEATURES: cast-iron railings.
(City of York: RCHME: The Central Area: HMSO: 1981-: 203).

Listing NGR: SE6014351955

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Harkers at Wikipedia
• Harkers at Wikipedia
• Wikidata IDs Q115802701 Q26548236

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

• 
  Listed Buildings: The Law and Practice of History Buildings, Ancient Monuments and Conservation Areas
• 
  Churches: An Architectural Guide (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Hampshire: Winchester and the North (The Buildings of England) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Lancashire: Manchester and the South-East (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  A Buying and Owning a Listed Building: A Brief Guide
• 
  Hampshire: South (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)