Fairfax House
Leeds, United Kingdom
Fairfax House
Fairfax House is a Georgian townhouse located at No. 27, Castlegate, York, England, near Clifford's Tower and York Castle Museum. It was probably built in the early 1740s for a local merchant and in 1759 it was purchased by Charles Gregory Fairfax, 9th Viscount Fairfax of Emley, who arranged for the interior to be remodelled by John Carr (architect). After the Viscount's death in 1772, the house was sold and subsequently passed through a number of local families before spending some time as a Gentleman's Club, a Building Society and a cinema. The property was bought by York Civic Trust in the 1980s and completely restored to its former grandeur. Fairfax House is now a museum open to the public and a Grade I listed building.
In 1761, Viscount Fairfax employed the Yorkshire architect John Carr to remodel the house at 27 Castlegate. The work was completed in 1765. The interior has some of Yorkshire's finest mid-C18 plasterwork by James Henderson (fl. c. 1755–1778) and Giuseppe (Joseph) Cortese (fl. c. 1745–1778) and carved woodwork. The wrought iron balustrades on the staircases were by Maurice Tobin (fl. 1762) Wrought iron gates and railings fronting Castlegate were removed when the street was widened, but were recorded by York architect and artist Ridsdale Tait.
Accommodations near Fairfax House
Hilton York
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Nearby Tours & Activities
Guests' reviews
Very happy with our visit here. I especially am interested in Georgian furniture and the collection here is quite fantastic. Although no pictures are allowed, the book containing photos that I found in the gift shop was perfect. Definitely worth a visit!
We went on the guided tour, which we enjoyed immensely. The tour guide made a special fuss of my 10 and 7 year old children, with snippets of info that captured their imagination. We will return!!
The staff and volunteers were so nice, answered my questions, and talked about each room when asked. They made me feel like I was a valued visitor and there was no rush. So far, my best historic experience in the UK (and I've had a lot of good experiences).
Very informative staff. Amazing conservation efforts.
A lovely place to visit and friendly guides in each room
This is the most interesting house I've visited. The story of the family, the story of the futniture, the story of the building and the visual impact of the room settings all add to a very enjoyable visit. The room guides are very knowledgeable and friendly. It's just £6 so good value. No cafe here but as its adjacent to all York has to offer, its not a problem.
Fantastic Georgian Town House and respectfully and painstakingly renovated to it's former glory. The guides are very friendly and knowledgeable. One of the best I've seen outside of Bath.
Photography is not permitted. Instead of it visit Treasurer's House - it's also very beautiful, and you can shoot pictures as much as you want.
The staff really transform a visit into an experience. They are what make this house special.
Very interesting. Guide staff very knowledgeable
Wonderful Georgian townhouse. The furniture is not original to the house but it's the same period. Some chippendale among it, bequested by a local gentleman who made a fortune as a chocolate manufacturer. The volunteers explain the family history of the Fairfax (Catholics in a then predominantly protestant country). Beautiful interiors with colours faithful to the style, reproducions of the original wallpaper and silk in some rooms. No pictures allowed for the sake of preservation. If you love Georgian interiors it's unmissable.
A fascinating piece of history in the centre of York. We visited when it was decorated for Christmas, which made it even more interesting
Excellent historical house full of interesting artefact. Pleasant and knowledgeable staff.
