History of Ace York
Micklegate House was built for John Bourchier of Beningborough Hall, a direct descendant of Sir John Bourchier who signed King Charles the First's death warrant; the Royal Commission on Historical Monuments describes Micklegate House as the most important Georgian residence south west of the River Ouse. It is said to have been designed by famous architect John Carr of York and was finished in 1752.
The owners, John and Mildred Bourchier, along with other members of the Gentry and Aristocracy, would come to York for entertainment, perhaps horse racing, the theatre or maybe a day in the Law Courts, which often resulted in a public hanging. The 'two elegant adjoining Drawing Rooms' used for entertaining on the first floor are currently dormitories and the office still contains the original panelling, fire place and painted windows it had in the days it was used as the Library. The oak beams in the basement are likely to be reclaimed ship's timbers, and there is evidence of 16th or 17th century brickwork.
What is now the Ace York residents' bar is thought to have been the kitchen where servants prepared meals for the family and their guests before carrying them up the 'servants' staircase and through the 'hidden' doorway into the panelled dining room, which nowadays is in use as our Bar area.
The grand stone-flagged entrance hall leads past an original fireplace through an ornate archway to the striking stair hall with sweeping staircase. The main staircase is particularly striking with superb carved balusters and sweeps in front of a magnificent arched window. Above this is a stunning rococo ceiling featuring Shakespeare's head and believed to have been created by the renowned Italian artist Cortese.
An impressive paneled Dining Room to the left of the hallway has ornate cornices and original marble fireplace and is currently used as a Bar. Which is opposite, once the Butler's Pantry, and is next door to a further paneled reception room with original fireplace and built in glazed cupboard, which once served as the Library. A large kitchen at the rear of the ground floor currently seats over 45 people for breakfast and evening meals. A further reception room, the former House Keeper's room, to the right of the entrance hall has original built in cupboards. The first floor landing leads to three rooms at the front of the building which used to be two intercommunicating rooms - the 'Reception Room' and the 'Drawing Room', (with an existing rococo ceiling showing a spaniel barking at a water bird and four heads in panels at angles, perhaps representing the seasons). The two interconnecting rooms are thought to have been used as a ballroom on occasion.
To the right of the main staircase is an attractive room with original paneling and carved glazed cupboard, this is believed to have been the 'Best Bedroom'. The floor has an additional large room at the back of the building. Two staircases lead to the second floor, one original and one installed in the 20th century as an additional fire escape. The second floor contains large rooms and showers. The rooms where originally mainly bedrooms There are 6 rooms on the top floor boasting many original features such as oak beams and original fire places, one contains a kitchen.
The third floor was originally the servants' quarters, but with views of York Minster, across the City Walls to the York Eye and down Micklegate to Micklegate Bar, (one of the stone entrances to the City), these rooms should be enjoyed by all. The stone-flagged, vaulted cellar contains the oak-beamed TV room with original fireplace and shuttered windows, kitchen/dining room, two rooms currently used as 'common rooms', laundry, boiler room, store room and storage cupboard.
There is access to the 'courtyard-style' outside seating area at the rear to the left, and to the right there is a small passageway leading to two outside storage cupboards and external steps, which provide a fire escape route leading back up to the toilet block at the rear of the building on the first floor. The rear fire exit leads to Barker Lane through the neighboring property.
