Mansion House – proposed appearance.

Work has recommenced at the Mansion House, to make sure that key external elements of the restoration works will be completed before the onset of winter.

These include:

• · Essential repairs to the chimney stacks, to bring them up to appropriate standards, with the flues being vital to the future ventilation of the building, under its new conservation system
• · Removal of old paint from the facade, using a special paint stripper causing the upper layers of paint to flake and appear to ‘melt’, giving way to an unusual ‘organic’ look to the building. Interestingly, when applied to the city crest, this work has revealed the many varying colours to the foliage details over the years. This process is no way damaging to the underlying brick and stone and brings many of the otherwise blurred details into sharp focus.

Since 1750 the house has been painted 47 times. In August 2016 the public voted on the colour of the facade which will be a brick colour and stone with a coloured crest. The design is that of the Mansion House from the 1890’s.

Councillor Keith Aspden, Deputy Leader of City of York Council said: “We are very pleased that the external works are now continuing. These works are essential to the project and have given us an interesting glimpse into the buildings past.

“The Mansion House is an important historic building in the city and we are committed to delivering this project.”

The Mansion House is undergoing renovation in its biggest investment since building was completed in 1732. The works were made possible after the Mansion House received a grant of £1,198,700 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), as well as funding from City of York Council and donations to the restoration fund. It is anticipated that the Mansion House will fully re-open to the public next year.

The restoration works stalled three months ago when the building contractor William Anelay went into administration