Yorkshire Insurance Company and Railings Attached to Front
YORKSHIRE INSURANCE COMPANY AND RAILINGS ATTACHED TO FRONT, 1, ST HELENS SQUARE
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1256794
- Date first listed:
- 01-Jul-1968
- List Entry Name:
- Yorkshire Insurance Company and Railings Attached to Front
- Statutory Address:
- YORKSHIRE INSURANCE COMPANY AND RAILINGS ATTACHED TO FRONT, 1, ST HELENS SQUARE
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2001-12-30
- Reference:
- IOE01/05478/32
- Rights:
- © Mr Martin Roberts. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1256794
- Date first listed:
- 01-Jul-1968
- List Entry Name:
- Yorkshire Insurance Company and Railings Attached to Front
- Statutory Address 1:
- YORKSHIRE INSURANCE COMPANY AND RAILINGS ATTACHED TO FRONT, 1, ST HELENS SQUARE
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- YORKSHIRE INSURANCE COMPANY AND RAILINGS ATTACHED TO FRONT, 1, ST HELENS SQUARE
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- York (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Non Civil Parish
- National Grid Reference:
- SE6015251952
Details
SE6051NW
1112-1/28/935
01/07/68
YORK
ST HELEN'S SQUARE
(North West side)
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: SE6015251952
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 464552
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
An Inventory of the City of York V Central, (1981), 203
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 04-Jun-2026 at 03:19:59.
Download a full scale map (PDF)© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100024900.© British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited 2026. All rights reserved. Licence number 102006.006.
End of official list entry