Details for Fairfax House

Fairfax House is classic Georgian townhouse in the historic City of York, North Yorkshire. The interior has been superbly restored to period grandeur and is open to visitors all year round. 

Fairfax House is situated in the heart of York City and provides an interesting and educational day out for visitors. This stunning 18th Century Georgian Townhouse is one of the finest examples in England and is brimming with unique furniture, decorative flourishes and artistic treasures. Come and visit the impressive Fairfax House, a home built as a dowry for Anne Fairfax, daughter of Lord Fairfax of Gilling Castle in the heart of York.

Fairfax House was created in 1762 as a dowry for Anne Fairfax, the only surviving child of Viscount Fairfax and the family turned to York’s most distinguished architect, John Carr, to design the interior. Restored by York Civic Trust in 1982-84 as a home for the famous Noel Terry Collection of English Furniture and Clocks, the result is, as Sir Simon Jenkins noted in his best-selling book England’s Thousand Best Houses (2003), 'the most perfect eighteenth century townhouse I have come across anywhere in England'.

Fairfax House is the finest Georgian Townhouse in England and makes a great day out for those interested in art and architecture. The Great Staircase is a positive tour de force with its exquisite Venetian Window, wrought iron and decorative plasterwork. Other rooms are of a similar high standard and...