Black Swan, York

The Black Swan occupies a medieval timber-framed house with twin-gabled front of 2 storeys and attic, and with jettied first floor. It preserves many elements of the original domestic interior, including a seventeenth century staircase, doorways, fireplaces and decorated oak panelling. Its 1930s refurbishment by the local Tadcaster Tower brewery was conceived as a prestige project with ‘historical character’ very much in mind and although there is some uncertainty about the extent of later alteration by their successors, Bass, this remains a pub interior of unquestionable distinction.

A flagstone passage runs from the front door to the rear and there is an elliptical keyed arch to stairhall. The public bar called ‘Ingle Bar’ on the rear left has a 1930s fielded bar counter but until the 1980s the counter had a return short of the exterior wall and seating area. The bar back on the right looks modern whereas the bar back fittings either side of the hatch to the Oak Room do look old (one shelf has a copper top) but the three bays (one level and two set back) look modern. This fine room (beams look unconvincing) has an old huge brick inglenook fireplace, an old settle, and lots of cast iron based tables with copper tops.

The Oak Room on the front left is one of the finest pub rooms in York with its 17th century oak panelled walls all around with a 1930s brick and old wood surround fireplace (might be older). Service is from a hatch to the back of the servery with twin leaded glass doors, a four sectioned ceiling and antique settle. By comparison, the front right room has panelling from the late twentieth century, a wood surround and brick infill fireplace from date unknown, and another four sectioned ceiling.

Go up the incredibly uneven seventeenth century open-well staircase with its bulbous balusters, heavy moulded handrail and square newels with ball and pedestals finials and pierced pendants. On the first floor is the function room at the front with full-height panelling in moulded surrounds, painted in trompe l'oeil rectangular and oval raised panels containing figures which are almost indecipherable.. Fireplace lined with reset blue and white tiles and overmantel enclosed in moulded frame and painted with allegorical figures in pastoral scene, Four sectioned ceiling with good ceiling roses