Description

YORK

SE5950NW THE MOUNT
1112-1/24/1100 (North West side)
01/07/68 Elm Bank Hotel

GV II*

House, now hotel. c1870; remodelled 1898 for Sidney Leetham by
WG and AJ Penty, with internal decoration by George Walton.
C20 alterations. White brick in Flemish bond with ashlar
dressings; hipped slate roofs generally, with wide eaves on
shaped brackets; pyramidal lead roof with tapering finial to
tower; brick stacks, some truncated.
EXTERIOR: entrance front: 2 storeys, 5 bays. Central bay
breaks forward and projects further as 1-storey Doric porch of
paired detached columns and entablature with dentilled
cornice. Doors are panelled with square-pane overlight in
keyed round-arched architrave between paired pilasters.
Windows are largely 1-pane sashes with 4-pane secondary
glazing and have cambered brick arches and stone sills. Raised
moulded first floor band encircles building.
Front to The Mount: 2 storeys, 5 bays; centre bays project as
1-storey 3-window segmental bow forming balcony to first
floor. Windows are square-headed and separated by pilasters
supporting entablature and pierced parapet. Flanking windows
altered to casements: on first floor they repeat those on
entrance front.
Rear has 4-storey extruded tower with rusticated stone ground
floor. French window on first floor and two round headed sash
windows on second floor have cantilevered balconies with heavy
balustrades. Top floor has round-arched sash windows to each
face, those on two opposed faces separated by external stacks.
INTERIOR: represents the only extensive example of Art Nouveau
decor in York and is one of the finest and most complete
surviving in England. It was illustrated in 'The Studio' in
1901. Stairhall and principal ground floor rooms are panelled
and decorated with wall and ceiling paintings and stencils.
One fireplace has marble overmantel inlaid with glass and
ceramics. The 2-storey stairhall has a stencilled barrel
vaulted ceiling with original pendant light fitting: staircase
with turned balusters leads to first floor gallery. Many
windows incorporate original stained glass.
HISTORICAL NOTE: George Walton worked in Glasgow and was a
contemporary of Charles Rennie Mackintosh. One of the pioneers
of Art Nouveau, his work at Elm Bank is some of his earliest
outside Scotland. Between 1898 and 1902, he worked from
premises in York at No.21 Stonegate (qv).
(RCHME: City of York: London: 1972-: CIV; Moon K: George
Walton: Designer and Architect: Oxford: 1993-: 63-70).

Listing NGR: SE5925650917

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q17549267

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

• 
  Northamptonshire: Buildings of England Series (Pevsner Architectural Guides) (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Yorkshire West Riding: Leeds, Bradford and the North (Pevsner Architectural Guides / Buildings of England)
• 
  Farrow & Ball How to Decorate: Transform your home with paint & paper
• 
  London 6: Westminster (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England): Westminster v. 6
• 
  London 1: The City of London: City of London v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)