Fairfax House York, England

Text courtesy of Historic England. © Crown Copyright, reprinted under the Open Government License.

YORK

SE6051NW CASTLEGATE 1112-1/28/141 (North East side) 14/06/54 Nos.25 AND 27 Fairfax House

GV I

Two houses, now amalgamated. No.27 c1744, remodelled 1760-62; No.25 probably early C19. Both houses amalgamated and remodelled as cinema and ballroom in 1920; restored as two houses 1982-84. No.27 remodelled in C18 possibly by John Carr for the 9th Viscount Fairfax of Emley: C20 restoration by Francis Johnson for the York Civic Trust. MATERIALS: No.27 of orange brick in Flemish bond on stepped plinth of painted stone; painted stone doorcase, quoins and dressings. Rear rebuilt in C19 clamp bricks in English bond. Brick stacks at each side of hipped slate roof. No.25 has ground floor of white terracotta and upper storeys of Flemish bond brick painted to match brick of No.27: modillion eaves cornice of timber to slate roof. EXTERIOR: both fronts are 2-storeyed with attics. No.25 has 3 bays; No.27 5 bays, 3 centre bays breaking forward beneath closed pediment. Cinema front retained in No.25, of sunk-panel pilasters enriched with fruit pendants carrying architrave and frieze of recessed panels between acanthus consoles. Original entrance, flanked by fluted and garlanded Ionic columns, altered to concave screen, approached by steps, containing glazed and panelled double doors beneath radial-glazed fanlight; to left, former doorway now blocked by small-pane window with semicircular fanlight, in moulded arch with shell keyblock. Treatment of upper storey windows and other detail matches that of No.27. No.27 has central pedimented doorcase of attached Doric columns on tall stepped pedestals. Double doors of fielded panels beneath radial fanlight, approached by steps, are recessed in round-arched architrave with moulded impost band. Ground floor windows are 12-pane sashes in quoined surrounds with flat arches of stepped voussoirs, over sill band. On first floor, similar windows in plain architraves over sunk panels, have pulvinated friezes, moulded cornices and projecting sills extending as flat sill band. Attic windows are squat 6-pane sashes in plain surrounds with sills. Flat band at first floor; moulded cornices beneath attic storey, and to eaves and pediment, beneath plain parapet. Pediment tympanum filled by radial-glazed oculus enclosed in renewed cartouche surround carved with palm fronds. Left return: rainwater head dated 1984 and stamped with the badge of The York Civic Trust. At rear, reset pedimented doorcase of panelled pilasters with fluted imposts beneath swagged frieze on acanthus consoles, and moulded cornice: fielded panelled double doors and radial fanlight in

elliptical-arched opening. Right return: ground and first floors obscured by adjoining building (No.29, qv). Main front attic cornice returned as brick dentilled band beneath blind window openings with flat arches of gauged brick. Eaves cornice from front returned as plain brick band beneath parapet. INTERIOR: No.27: ground floor: renewed stone flagged floor extends from entrance hall to stairhall. Moulded skirting enriched with flower and ribbon carving carries through to top of main staircase. Entrance hall: front doorcase is round-arched, with panelled soffit, on enriched sunk-panelled pilasters with acanthus leaf capitals. Similar moulded round-arched opening leads to stairhall. 2 original doorcases with enriched architraves, carved pulvinated friezes and cornice heads contain original 6-panel doors. Plaster ceiling, coved above cornice enriched with palmette, moulded into medallions and scrolls of foliage and flowers. Front room to left (Library): original marble fireplace with insets of Sienna marble. Doorcase with architrave carved with shells and rosettes, acanthus frieze and dentilled cornice. Skirting carved to match doorcase architrave. Window architraves enriched with foliage and husk carvings, and fitted with shutters of enriched fielded panelling. Dado moulded with bands of bead and reel and rosettes