Situated within York’s medieval city walls, this Victorian railway worker’s cottage has been meticulously restored by its current owners. It has three bedrooms, a wonderful open-plan kitchen, living and dining space, and a picturesque rear garden. From the top floor, mesmerising views look out towards York Minster. The house lies in Bishopshill, close to popular ‘Bishy Road’, an area renowned for its independent shops and cafés, and at the end of Victor Street is a beloved community-run historic pub.

We have written more about this house in our Almanac.

Setting the Scene

Built in the 1870s, the house has been lovingly restored by the current owners, who have carried out much of the work themselves. This is particularly true of its carpentry: the stair rail has been extended into the newly carved-out top floor, and the wooden sash windows have been carefully reconstructed.

A considered palette of natural materials, including limed oak, copper and clay have been used to reinstate lost original features and enhance those that have endured. New hearths have been laid in line with the recently levelled floors.

The Grand Tour

A wrought-iron gate opens into a prettily planted front garden. A path leads to the front door; from here, a wide checkerboard-tiled hallway guides towards the rear of the house, where an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area lies.

A side return extension provides space for a kitchen table. Above, a pitched ceiling is lined with tongue-and-groove panelling and punctuated by skylights. Reclaimed flagstones chime with an original brick floor laid in a herringbone pattern.

The kitchen takes clear inspiration from 20th-century Arts and Crafts furniture, and has been influenced by the current owner's love for Heal's cabinets. It has slate worktops cut from a reclaimed pool table and a wonderfully patinated copper backsplash. An original cast-iron stove and a wash copper are reminders of the home's history. At the back of the room, a glazed door opens into the tranquil garden.

Between the kitchen and the music or sitting room is a dining room, used as a living space by the current owners. Slightly raised, it offers a demarcation between the different spaces of the ground floor. A guest WC, which doubles as a utility cupboard, is adjacent.

The front of the house is home to a sitting or music room. Its large bay window draws in soothing light, and an original picture rail, cornicing and ceiling rose remain intact. Timber boards lie underfoot, and there is another wood-burning stove set within a blue-painted surround.

An original staircase ascends to the upstairs, where two atmospheric bedrooms and a bathroom are located. The latter has encaustic Spanish floor tiles and reclaimed quarry wall tiles, creating an open shower next to a bathtub. An antique cupboard with a marble top forms a freestanding washstand. A new, hand-built window frames a delightful view towards the city walls.