Fairfax House
Used as a cinema and ballroom from the 1920s, a pair of Georgian houses expertly restored in recent years.
Castlegate, York, YO1 9RN
Unfortunately, Fairfax House is currently inaccessible for wheelchairs.
Entry to the house is via six stone steps (there is a handrail for additional support). Please notify a member of staff should you need assistance entering.
Pushchairs cannot be taken into the house, however they can be stored in our reception area.
Fairfax House covers two floors, with access to the first floor by staircase only (29 steps separated with two half-landings).
There is a chair situated in each room available for visitor use. Lightweight walking stick seats are also available on request from the front desk.
Lockers are available free of charge.
Visit one of England’s finest Georgian townhouses and let Fairfax House transport you to the glory days of city-living in eighteenth century York.
Originally the winter home of Viscount Fairfax and his daughter Ann, Fairfax House’s richly decorated interiors and magnificent stucco ceilings make it a masterpiece of Georgian design and architecture.
Set in the heart of York, Fairfax House reveals the domestic interiors in which these Georgians would have walked, the tastes and fashions of the day for architecture, interior decoration, food and furnishings, as well as the customs and habits of York’s wealthy gentry and aristocracy. It was a place where the winter season could be enjoyed, and with it, all the entertainments and social engagements that this centre for ‘polite society’ had to offer.
A beautiful collection of furniture brings the house alive and creates a special feeling of warmth. It evokes a life once lived in comfort and grandeur, vividly recalling a lost world of townhouse-living in the 1760s.
Unfortunately, Fairfax House is currently inaccessible for wheelchairs.
Entry to the house is via six stone steps (there is a handrail for additional support). Please notify a member of staff should you need assistance entering.
Pushchairs cannot be taken into the house, however they can be stored in our reception area.
Fairfax House covers two floors, with access to the first floor by staircase only (29 steps separated with two half-landings).
There is a chair situated in each room available for visitor use. Lightweight walking stick seats are also available on request from the front desk.
Lockers are available free of charge.
The Fairfax Family
The Fairfaxes were a long established Yorkshire Catholic family who owned extensive land and property in the county. Their principal residence was Gilling Castle, 20 miles north of York.
Art & Collections at Fairfax House
With its nationally significant collection of furniture, clocks, silver and paintings, Fairfax House offers a fascinating window into the exclusive tastes of Britain’s wealthy Georgian elite.
You can explore some of the incredible collection at Fairfax House, including the collection of Noel Terry and the myriad of artworks on the Fairfax House website now.
