There’s a group of older women who revert to schoolgirl giggles when they step inside Garforth House in Mickelgate York.
The property was their school more than half a century ago and each year the current owners Lindsay and John Jacques host the former pupils, now in their 70s to 90s, for a school reunion.
Now restored as a grand private home, the Georgian townhouse was St Margaret’s Independent Grammar School for Girls, run by nuns from 1918-1968.
‘We love hosting the former pupils and hearing their stories and we have about 70 come in two groups every year,’ says Lindsay.
‘They often turn back the clock to their giggling schoolgirl days whilst wandering around the house en masse, particularly, when remembering that they were not allowed to enter the main entrance of the house, nor use its grand main staircase. It makes them feel naughty.
‘Other off-limit areas included the century-old Otis lift and topmost floor (originally servant quarters) where the nuns slept. One of the most daring challenges was to touch the end wall of the top floor corridor without being caught!’
Such stories give a flavour of life at Garforth House, today restored as a family home with impressive Georgian cornices, plasterwork, door frames and some of the fireplaces. Garforth House is one of the few Grade I-listed properties in the city.
It will open its grand door once again as part of the second annual York Unlocked weekend, which will open the doors to many interesting properties in the city in October.
Garforth House is a five-bay, five storey building on one of York’s most prominent streets, Micklegate Street (Great Street), which has served as an entrance to York for several reigning monarchs.
Today visitors are more likely to be hunting down some of the city's best restaurants which make their home in Mickelgate such as Skosh, Rattle Owl and Partisan.
The house was built in 1755-1757 for the Garforth family of Wiganthorpe Hall (descendants of the entrepreneur William Garforth, governor of the Merchant Venturers Company of York).
The site was originally purchased as two separate tenements by the Garforths and was cleared in 1753 for the construction of Garforth House. It occupies one of the most prominent positions on the street, strategically and optimally positioned exactly halfway along its length on its outer bend so it would be noticed from both ends. Micklegate was described by the architectural historian Sir Nicholas Pevsner as ‘without any doubt the most rewarding street in York’.
Whilst overseeing building work at Wiganthorp Hall, John Carr of York, one of the most important and influential architects of his time, was commissioned to design the townhouse for Edward and Elizabeth Garforth. Despite various changes of use over the years, it retains a wealth of splendid and grand period features. They include a Corinthian Venetian staircase window, cantilever staircase, feature fireplaces, wood panelling, ornate cornicing, Rococo plasterwork and sash windows.
The splendid style of this Georgian townhouse and its opulent interior, suggests that money was no object. John Carr was also responsible for 47 Bootham and Castlegate House in York, Harewood House, York County Court House and Beverley Burton Hall, East Yorkshire.
Garforth House was occupied by several notable families and had many uses, including offices.
Lindsay and John were working as geological surveyors in Singapore, and their two sons were young children, when they saw Garforth House was for sale.
‘It was a massive office block, but we were bowled over by the history and the original features, although they were carved up by partition walls,’ says John.
‘We wanted to move back home and bought it in 2011, but we had a few years of flying back and loading up skips before we could leave Singapore.
‘Following its use as a commercial building it was necessary to remove several partition walls, air conditioning units, server cabinets and electrical items, and where necessary minor repair work was carried out to restore the original features. We see ourselves as custodians of the house.’
The couple’s aim was to convert the property as sympathetically as possible into a family house and to its original purpose.
‘We had to wait for approvals because we were advised that Micklegate, with its clubs and bars, wasn’t a good place for a residential home, and it was feared that we would be complaining about noise nuisance.’
With all the necessary approvals in place, the restoration started in 2012 over the five floors. Today it is just about finished says Lindsay.
No changes were proposed to the internal room arrangement from its original layout. The Jacques put in a kitchen, and several bathrooms on the second and third floors. Secondary glazing was installed sympathetically to reduce external noise and improve the energy efficiency of the house, without disrupting the use of the Georgian shutters and impacting the original windows. Several of the stone fireplace surrounds had been painted several times and the actual fireplaces boarded in. They are now restored, as are all the cast iron radiators.
Lindsey admits, she's not sure exactly how many rooms there are – there are 10 bedrooms.
Their living spaces are on the first floor with a kitchen on the ground floor as well as a modern extension and games rooms for the boys and their friends.
‘I’ve used an early Georgian palette in drab colours and muted tones on the walls, such as Charleston Gray by Farrow & Ball ’, says Lindsay.
‘They loved drab then, but it has a warm tone. ‘It was worth having a look at Fairfax House for inspiration.
‘We’ve combined antique furniture with modern abstract artwork by Freya Horsley and pieces of furniture from India and the Far East that we collected from SIngapore.
I love the centuries of wear on the stone floors in the entrance and passageways and the view from the stairs.’
Lindsay enjoyed showing people round her house as part of the inaugural York Unlocked last year.
‘It’s true that we are just custodians of the house - we met lots of lovely people and we always hope people will come who have some knowledge of the history of the building.’
As part of York Unlocked (October 7&8), tours of Garforth House at 54 Micklegate are Sat 10am, 11am, 2pm & 3pm Tours Sun 10am & 11am. Book online at york-unlocked.org.uk
