Rowntree Wharf

Rowntree Wharf
Orange-brown-brick building on a wharf
The building in 2018
Former namesNavigation Warehouse
Alternative names
Leetham's Mill
General information
StatusConverted into flats
TypeFlour mill, warehouse and silo (former)
LocationNavigation Road, York, England
Coordinates53°57′28″N 1°04′28″W / 53.9579°N 1.0745°W / 53.9579; -1.0745
Year built1896; 130 years ago (1896)
Renovatedc. 1990 (converted)
ClientLeetham & Sons
Design and construction
ArchitectWalter Green Penty
Listed Building – Grade II
Official name
Rowntree Wharf
Designated24 June 1983
Reference no.1257088

Rowntree Wharf, also known as Leetham's Mill, is a historic building on Navigation Road in the city centre of York, England.

History

In the 1860s, Leetham & Sons established a flour mill on Wormald's Cut, an arm of the River Foss in York. Between 1895 and 1896, the company constructed a large warehouse and adjoining silo, to a design by Walter Green Penty. It lies between the Foss and Wormald's Cut, and Leetham's agreed an annual payment towards keeping the Foss navigable. The mill was initially successful, becoming one of the largest operations in Europe, but it closed in 1930. In 1935, the building was sold to Rowntree's, renamed the "Navigation Warehouse", and used to receive shipments of cocoa beans. As the company increasingly moved to use road transport, its use of the warehouse declined. In 1989, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation converted it into flats and offices. In the 2010s, the foundation sold the building, and the offices were converted into additional flats. The building was Grade II listed in 1983. Nikolaus Pevsner describes it as "York's best industrial building".

North facade, seen across the River Foss

Architecture

The building is constructed of orange-brown brick with stone details and a slate roof. It is largely five storeys with a weatherboarded clerestory set back on top, while the entrance front has only four storeys, and there is a nine-storey tower. The south front to Wormald's Cut has 17 main bays with a canopy over the ground floor openings, and three more bays on a cant, linking it to the tower. The north front to the Foss has twenty-and-a-half bays and has a cantilevered walkway at first floor level. Part of its centre bay projects out from the third floor up, and has inserted windows. The main entrance has been altered, and has a first-floor walkway linking it to a car park. The attic is gabled and has an oculus window. The tower is square, its six lower storeys having rounded corners, and the higher ones canted corners. It is topped by a parapet, and on the south side, there is a turret with battlements. Several gantries and hoists have been retained.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Tillott, P. M. (1961). A History of the County of York: the City of York. London: Victoria County History. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  2. ↑ "Building record MYO1064 - Rowntree Wharf". York Historic Environment Record. City of York Council. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  3. ↑ Clark, Matt (7 April 2017). "Property Focus: Rowntree Wharf, Navigation Road, York". The Press. Retrieved 26 August 2026.
  4. 1 2 Historic England. "Rowntree Wharf (1257088)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 27 August 2026.
  5. 1 2 Pevsner, Nikolaus; Neave, David (1995) [1972]. Yorkshire: York and the East Riding. The Buildings of England (2 ed.). New Haven and London: Yale University Press. ISBN 978-0-300-09593-7.