Character Area
Twenty Four:
The Mount
Part One: Understanding the City > Character Areas > Twenty Four: The Mount
Overview
The Mount is a leafy suburb with a good number of grand Victorian
houses and attractive terraces. It has remained a desirable place to
live because of the high number of houses with gardens and the
proximity of good schools. Its distance from the city centre and
relatively late development mean its character is distinctly more
suburban than other parts of the Conservation Area. There is little
about the area which identifies it as ‘York’ rather than another city or
town.
Boundaries
This area is consists of a spine road, The Mount, and side streets
leading off it of varying scale and character. It is bound by the railway
on the western side and green spaces on the south-eastern side. The
southern boundary is determined by a change in topography - there
is a sharp rise uphill from St Aubyn’s Place and Trentholme Drive.
The northern boundary is determined by a change in street width,
increasing volume of traffic and commercial activity.
Historical development
The Mount makes up part of the main historic route into the city from
the south. During the Roman period, as burial was not permitted
within the city walls, citizens were buried either side of this important
road. Both Roman and Anglo-Saxon remains have been found.
At the start of the Civil War (1642–1651), a fortification (called a
'sconce') was built at the highest point on The Mount where it meets
Albemarle Road. This sconce was part of an outer ring of fortifications
outside the city walls. At that time, The Mount was surrounded by
fields, the nearest house was further north on Blossom Street and
Nunnery Lane (character area 23). This landscape did not change
significantly until 1800.
The area underwent extensive development between 1800 and 1850.
Grand houses were built along The Mount and Holgate Road for the
middle-classes 1 .
In the second half of the 19th century, small terraced cottages were
built to house large numbers of workers, including those employed
by the North Eastern Railway at its carriage and wagon works off
Holgate Road 2 .
During the 20th century, semi-detached houses were built along
Scarcroft Road and Park Street 3 . Some villas along The Mount have
also been joined together and converted into hotels.
However, unlike other places within the city walls this area did not
undergo extensive 20th century redevelopment for a number of
reasons. Its distance from the centre meant there was more space
to build large houses and attract well-off residents. Therefore, it
never lapsed into a slum and was not cleared like other areas (e.g.
Walmgate) were in the 1930s. Lack of cleared or former industrial sites
also reduced the potential for large-scale 20th century development.
Ambience and use
Today the character of the area is one of an affluent suburb.
Residential side streets fan out from the Mount and there are three
schools. A number of local shops and small scale hotels operate along
the main road.
Even though The Mount has a substantial amount of traffic, the
street’s width and greenery reduce the impact of noise. This applies
less so on Holgate Road which is narrower. Side streets are generally
quiet apart from at peak times such as the start and end of the school
day when crowds of children arrive and disperse.
York Central Historic Core 439 Conservation Area Appraisal
Part One: Understanding the City > Character Areas > Twenty Four: The Mount
1
Large 19th century villas
2
19th century terraces
3
20th century interwar semi-detached
houses
2
School
Green Space
2
Landmark
Railway
Proposed Conservation Area boundary
Character area boundary
1
Sta
tion
Rd
Area 24 location plan
2
Area 21
Bl
os
so
m
St
Area 22
Introductory Plan
Th
e
M
ou
nt
Area 24
Area 23
York Central Historic Core 440 Conservation Area Appraisal
This drawing incorporates information from the Ordnance Survey
which is © Crown Copyright. ABA Licence: AL1000 17547
3
Part One: Understanding the City > Character Areas > Twenty Four: The Mount
Designation
The Mount is unique within the Conservation Area. There is a case
for it to become independent from the Central Historic Core because
it was the only part of the Area which had not been developed by
the end of the Georgian era. In other words, it is a Victorian suburb.
However, since re-designating it as a separate Conservation Area
would bring no obvious practical management benefits, it would be
hard to see how the time and resources required to do this could be
justified.
The listed buildings in this area are predominantly Grade II and
clustered along The Mount and Holgate Road. These are interspersed
with a high number of locally significant buildings. There are
no detracting buildings in the area due to the lack of modern
development seen elsewhere in the Conservation Area.
Grade II listed building at the southern end of The Mount
York Central Historic Core 441 Conservation Area Appraisal
Part One: Understanding the City > Character Areas > Twenty Four: The Mount
Boundary changes
This section deals with two different recommendations.
Firstly, the extension of the Conservation Area
boundary and secondly, the buildings within the new
boundary being designated 'buildings of merit'.
There are two groups of streets and some buildings at
risk which it is recommended should be included within
the Conservation Area in order to better manage future
alteration and development.
1.The Conservation Area currently excludes Albemarle
Road, Scarcroft Hill, Telford Terrace, Wentworth
Road. Built in late 19th century, they are generally of
homogenous character and attractive appearance,
enhanced by surrounding green space and
allotments. From the top of Scarcroft Hill, there
are fine views of Scarcroft Primary School in the
foreground and the Minster in the background:
• Albermarle Road is a grander street than the others.
The houses are red brick, of three storeys with
square bays and sash windows. Nos. 1 and 11, have
additional features such as a crenellated porch.
• Scarcroft Hill, Telford Terrace and Wentworth Road
are two storey terraced houses of red brick. They also
have square or canted bays and sash windows.
2.The Conservation Area also excludes an area of
attractive streets to the north-east of Scarcroft
Primary School. Sections of these streets are
important not only because they contain a varied
group of good early 19th century buildings but also
because they form the setting of the listed school.
They were largely occupied by railway employees and
minor artisans:
• Dale Street - Nos. 34-46 are the most attractive, built
1823-8. They are two storey red brick cottages with
tiled roofs and sit directly on the pavement. The
remainder of the terraced houses were built later
and are plainer but are framed nicely by small front
gardens.
• Dove Street – The majority of the houses were
originally built 1827-30 but only the southern end
survives. Two or three storey brick terraced houses
of different designs with original doorcases. Their
setting is attractive, consisting of front gardens with
low walls.
• Cygnet Street - Nos. 11-15 and 22-26 are two to three
storey terraced houses built 1846. This is slightly
inferior to the other two streets as it lacks front
gardens and there are two poor quality modern infill
buildings.
It is recommended that Albermarle Road (top) and Dale Street
(bottom) be added to the conservation area.
York Central Historic Core 442 Conservation Area Appraisal
This drawing incorporates information from the Ordnance Survey which is © Crown Copyright. ABA Licence: AL1000 17547
Part One: Understanding the City > Character Areas > Twenty Four: The Mount
Grade II* Listed Building
Grade II Listed Building
Building of merit
Existing Conservation Area boundary
Character area boundary
Proposed Conservation Area boundary
Superseded Conservation Area boundary
Designations
York Central Historic Core 443 Conservation Area Appraisal
Part One: Understanding the City > Character Areas > Twenty Four: The Mount
Streets
& Spaces
The Mount
The Mount is on a hill and there is a substantial difference in height
between the buildings and the street level at the southern end. The
mature trees in substantial front gardens makes a very attractive
street composition. The street itself is wide, with grass verges and
incidental pieces of street furniture.
At the northern end of The Mount small trees line the road and it
is well enclosed by buildings on both sides. Cobbled margins mark
on-street parking bays. From the junction with Scarcroft Road, the
buildings no longer have front gardens but do so at the rear.
Side streets off The Mount
Most houses on the side streets are set within the centre of their plot
meaning they have front and rear gardens. All the 19th century streets
are terraced and the post-war houses are semi-detached. There are a
variety of boundaries including railings, hedges and walls.
Mature street trees and green verges create an attractive environment on
The Mount
One of the most attractive streets off The Mount is the very intimate Mount
Parade because of the uniformity of the long front gardens enclosed by iron
railings and lack of on-street parking
York Central Historic Core 444 Conservation Area Appraisal
Part One: Understanding the City > Character Areas > Twenty Four: The Mount
Holgate Road
This street winds uphill towards the railway bridge
providing evolving views all the way along. It is well
enclosed by buildings on both sides, although with
frequent punctuations by small side streets.
The houses on Holgate Road
have front gardens containing
mature trees and bounded
by iron railings on low walls.
Pavements tend to be narrow
The junction with Blossom Street is addressed in
character area 23. In general, the quality and condition
of buildings declines towards this junction and the
sense of enclosure is punctuated by gaps in the
building line, such as the set back Holgate Villa office
block.
Green spaces
Scarcroft Green is the main green space within the
area and is used as a public park. It is the tip of a large
triangle of common open land leading out of the
city – the Knavesmire, part of Micklegate 'stray'. The
Green contains a large number of mature trees and
is segregated into areas for different activities such
as bowling and children’s play area. The open setting
enables great views of the Scarcroft Primary School
from Scarcroft Hill.
Scarcroft Road lines one edge
of the Green and lined with
an avenue of tall mature
trees dividing it from the
allotments opposite
On the other side of Scarcroft Road from the Green is
land used for allotments.
On the west side of The Mount is a sizeable green space
made up from private gardens relating to properties on
Dalton Terrace, Mount Parade and The Mount. This is
a quiet oasis that provides an attractive setting for the
buildings, especially those of Mount Parade which are
listed.
York Central Historic Core 445 Conservation Area Appraisal
Part One: Understanding the City > Character Areas > Twenty Four: The Mount
Buildings
This area largely comprises 19th century
development with little modern intrusion. In general,
most houses are two or three storey and would
have been occupied by the middle-classes. Brick is
the dominant material, usually red or buff, although
cream stucco appears occasionally as does white
brick.
Each street is stylistically different from one another
on account of the varied ages and changing fashions
throughout the century. For example, the two to
three storey houses on Holgate Road are mid-19th
century; they are rather plain, in buff or light red
brick with shallow bay windows. In contrast, the
design of the late 19th century rich red brick houses
on Scarcroft Hill is influenced by the Victorian ‘arts
and crafts’ movement. Decorative features include
patterned brickwork and half-timbered gables.
Large terraced houses of individual design on The Mount
19th century houses
• Large detached and terraced houses of individual
design
At the southern end of The Mount are some
substantial houses some of which have been joined
together for use as hotels.
The section of The Mount between Dalton Terrace
and Holgate Road has a range of houses built
individually throughout the 1830s and 40s. They
are all three storeys (some have basements) some
with stucco façades and others are plain brick.
Architectural details include first floor decorative iron
balconies, bay windows, strong cornice lines and
fanlights above front doors.
York Central Historic Core 446 Conservation Area Appraisal
Part One: Understanding the City > Character Areas > Twenty Four: The Mount
· Large and medium sized terraced houses to a
common design
Sometimes one design may run the length of the
street, e.g. East Mount Road, or be confined to a
small sub-group within a longer terrace, e.g. Holgate
Road, or stand alone e.g. Driffield Terrace and Dalton
Terrace.
The northern side of Holgate Road was built up in the
1840s and comprises two or three storey red brick
houses. Many include bay windows, plain cornice and
pillar framed doorway.
East Mount Road has two long sets of terraces of very
similar design but three storey to the north and two
storey to the south. All are of red brick with ground
floor bay window, plain cornice and heavy door
surround.
19th century institutions
Scarcroft Primary School (1896) is a landmark, a
masterpiece of W. H. Brierley. The large red brick
building has the look of a church, with a large central
hall, steep pitched roof and a ‘spire’ with a clock on it.
The Mount School on Dalton Terrace is a large
stuccoed building founded as a Quaker girls school to
teach daughters of York’s prominent families such as
the Rowntrees and Tukes. The central section dates
from about 1856 but it has been much extended over
the years in a piece-meal rather than planned manner.
It is in the same simple Italianate (classical) style as the
stucco terraced houses nearby.
Narrow terraced houses on Dale Street
York Central Historic Core 447 Conservation Area Appraisal
Scarcroft Primary School is set in
green space and Grade II* listed
Part One: Understanding the City > Character Areas
York Central Historic Core 448 Conservation Area Appraisal
Part One: Understanding the City > Character Areas > Twenty Four: The Mount
Traffic &
Movement
The Mount varies between two and four lanes wide,
but traffic does not dominate the street in the same
way as in other areas (adjacent Blossom Street for
example) since street trees and cobbled margins
provide a buffer for pedestrians.
The Mount is used by commuters and is especially
busy at the start and end of the work day. Since there
are three schools in the area, these busy periods also
cover the start and end of the school day due to the
additional car journeys and large numbers of children
walking around.
A key junction just outside this character area is the
Holgate Road junction with Blossom Street, addressed
in character area 23. Another busy junction is where
Holgate Road meets Dalton Terrace. This is where
traffic is funnelled over the railway bridge, the only
entry point from the west.
Generous pavements and cycle lanes ensure vehicles do not dominate The Mount
Most parking is on-street, however some of the
gardens have been converted to driveways for cars,
especially the inter-war houses on Park Street and
Scarcroft Road. This has also happened to some
gardens on The Mount where houses have been
converted to hotels.
York Central Historic Core 449 Conservation Area Appraisal
Part One: Understanding the City > Character Areas > Twenty Four: The Mount
Issues &
Opportunities
Strengths
• A high percentage of well maintained houses with gardens give
the area a strong late Georgian and Victorian character.
• The Mount is one of the most green and leafy streets in the whole
Conservation Area.
• There is a key view of the city from Scarcroft Hill and other
intimate local views such as along Mount Parade. Holgate Road is
also attractive due to its winding uphill topography and greenery.
• There is an attractive green space made up from the gardens of
Dalton Terrace, Mount Parade and The Mount. There should be a
presumption against development within this space in order to
protect the setting of the listed buildings on Mount Parade.
Weaknesses and opportunities
• Some gardens have been converted to driveways which leads to
a loss of greenery and an inconsistency in boundary treatment.
Further control of conversion and any boundary changes in
general should be considered.
Holgate Road benefits from attractive front gardens full of mature trees, and
sweeping topography
• The railway line running along the western edge of the area limits
access to a single bridge resulting in a busy junction at Holgate
Road and Dalton Terrace.
• Long-term lack of maintenance has led to a decline in the
condition of No. 70 Holgate Road, now deemed ‘at risk’.
York Central Historic Core 450 Conservation Area Appraisal
Existing
View to Minster
Well enclosed street
View to Minster
Wide tree lined street
Entrance to Scarcroft
Green
Pedestrian only route
Railway line forms a
barrier
High volumes of traffic
Building at risk
Green Space
Landmark
Railway
Views
Local fixed with focal point
Local dynamic
Issues and Opportunities
York Central Historic Core 451 Conservation Area Appraisal
This drawing incorporates information from the Ordnance Survey
which is © Crown Copyright. ABA Licence: AL1000 17547
Part One: Understanding the City > Character Areas > Twenty Four: The Mount