Details
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 and foliage.
Ceiling coved above paired modillion cornice, decoration
incorporating four portrait medallions and looped strapwork
and foliage trails.
Front room to right (Dining-room): restored original marble
fireplace with Ionic columns. 2 doorcases with pulvinated
friezes carved with scrolled foliage beneath broken pediments,
and architraves enriched with egg, shell and flower carvings,
repeated on window architraves. Windows have shutters of
enriched fielded panelling. Skirting and dado carved with
foliage and husk motif. Doric cornice to plaster ceiling of
foliage trails entwining baskets of fruit and medallions of
Abundantia, wine glasses crossed with tobacco pipes, and
musical instruments.
Stairhall: 3 doorcases with enriched architraves, friezes
carved with guilloche mouldings enclosing rosettes, and
cornices enriched with egg and flower. One doorcase, leading
to secondary staircase, is set within round arch which repeats
front doorcase and entrance hall arches. Plaster ceiling
panelled in guilloche mouldings enclosing acanthus roundels.
Draped stucco medallion representing Roma with floral pendant
on wall opposite foot of stairs.
Secondary staircase: rises from ground to second floor: bottom
flight reconstructed. Cantilevered stone treads with ironwork
balustrade of elongated intersecting scrolls and flat moulded
and ramped-up handrail.
Main staircase: rises around well to first floor with
cantilevered cast treads, the under sides panelled and
decorated with attached floral carvings. Balustrade of
scrolled ironwork panels with moulded handrail wreathed at
foot around fluted column newel on scrolled curtail step.
Venetian staircase window of enriched Corinthian order on
blind balustraded plinth, beneath moulded double arch
containing painted heraldic cartouche.
First floor. Landing: flanking walls of upper part of
stairwell have plaster consoles supporting replacement busts,
enclosed in cartouches of swags and palm leaves. Plaster
ceiling is coved above enriched cornice on acanthus consoles,
and depicts martial theme. Four doorcases with eared
architraves enriched with egg and flower pattern, friezes
carved in high relief with garlands of fruit and flowers
between foliate volutes, and enriched moulded cornices.
Small front room (Drawing Room): replacement fireplace and
doorcases; partly renewed skirting carved with rosettes and
foliage, and dado rail with Greek key frets and rosettes.
Window architraves enriched with foliage trails and fitted
with shutters of enriched fielded panelling. Plaster ceiling
coved in radiating coffers above enriched dentil and modillion
cornice with central figurative medallion encircled by
entwined palm leaves and foliage.
Large front room (Saloon): replacement fireplace. Two original
doorcases flank fireplace, with enriched architraves,
pulvinated friezes carved with foliage, and enriched dentilled
cornices. Window architraves are eared and carved with shell,
flower and egg mouldings, and fitted with shutters of enriched
fielded panelling. Skirting and dado rail enriched with
foliage and fan carvings. Lavish cornice with dentils, paired
acanthus modillions interspersed with rosettes, and paired
lion masks, above plaster frieze of foliage trails. Ceiling
incorporates central rose, medallions of music and musical
instruments, and corner baskets of fruit and flowers set in
trails of vine and wreaths of oak leaves.
Both rooms at rear have replacement fireplaces, and doorcases
with architraves carved to match skirting, carved pulvinated
friezes with flowering rose centrepiece, and cornices: one
room has egg and flower dado and dentilled ceiling cornice;
the other has renewed dado and stepped cornice moulded with
foliage garlands and rosettes, and shells and flowers.
(Brown P: Fairfax House, York: An Illustrated History and a
Guide: York: 1989-; City of York: RCHME: The Central Area:
HMSO: 1981-: 112-113).
Listing NGR: SE6046351578
