Today we are visiting one of the finest Georgian houses in England. Join us for a
walk through this impressive and sumptuous property right here in the heart of York.
This is Fairfax House on Castlegate in the centre of York. It was built around 1745
and bought by Charles Gregory Fairfax ninth viscount of Emly in 1759, to be
remodelled into a wonderful Georgian townhouse he gifted, through a dowry to his daughter Anne.
The viscount had married twice, losing his first wife within a year of marriage.
His second wife Mary produced nine children, eight of which would sadly die young, leaving just Anne.
In his younger years, Charles had enjoyed gallivanting around
London and Bath for the social scene. Now older and spending more time at his country estate
Gilling Castle he wanted a base in town and with the help of John Carr, a distinguished architect,
together with the best local craftsman, he renovated the house to new exquisite standards.
This is John Carr's portrait over the fireplace in the library.
The property is looked after by the York Civic Trust and they have restored the
house beautifully. As we walk around the property you'll see clocks and furniture
from the Terry Noel collection. He was one of the four founding
members of the trust and a passionate collector of Georgian antiquities.
Spending time in York brought the viscount and Anne into highest society social gatherings
and they hosted many dinners and attended events at the assembly rooms.
As a housewarming, the family invited 200 guests to show off the renovated house
with, according to the papers, elegant entertainment and a ball.
The famous swiss Italian Giuseppe Cortese
is believed to have been responsible for the stucco work in many of the rooms.
Maurice Tobin from Wakefield is the craftsman responsible for the ironwork
on the wonderful staircase. A figure of eight design and rosette decoration.
Heading into the small but well-appointed kitchen,
the cook and probably a maid would have prepared meals here
as well as dealt with the family washing. It doesn't appear to be a separate scullery.
This set of stairs off the kitchen, likely for the maid or servants to quietly move between
the floors of the house without getting in the way of the guests on the main staircase.
Let's head upstairs and explore the upper floor.
This is viscount Fairfax's room. Sorry, it's a little dark, the lighting was quite dim.
On the bed a cross and bible important to him as a devout catholic.
A nightgown and hat which I don't think were actually his,
but an example of what might have been worn.
Charles Fairfax spent 11 years in the winter seasons here at the house
but sadly he passed away in 1772 along with his title. Anne didn't
keep the house and sold it returning to the country home Gilling Castle.
This is Anne's room, a place she could dress,
wash and write. Slightly brighter and airier due to the double windows in this room.
The property carried on as a private residence until 1865
when it was turned into a gentleman's club. By 1919 permission was granted to convert it
and the building next door into a popular cinema and dance hall.
We are now in the drawing room. A room for more intimate entertaining.
There are some wonderful period items of furniture in this room. When the cinema took the property
they were actually quite careful with boxing in and protecting the fabric of the building
and so many features were preserved rather than being stripped out.
The protection the cinema afforded the building meant that when it closed in the 1960s followed
by the dance floor in 1980 there was something for the trust to work with for a restoration project.
Over two years another team of local skilled craftsmen worked tirelessly to
bring the house back to life. It cost 750 000 pounds in the 1980s money to restore.
This is the vibrant red saloon, likely where all the dancing was
done during the housewarming party of 200 in 1763.
It's a fabulous place and well worth a visit when you're in York.
We've got more coming from York over the coming weeks
so please do subscribe and join us for future fascinating videos.