Treasurer's House was once attached to one of the wealthiest benefices in England. Successive Treasurer's of York Minster lived there from 1100 until the office was abolished under Henry VIII.
The last Treasurer handed over his dignities and key in 1547 claiming that as the Minster had been plundered of all its treasures it had no further need of a Treasurer.
Little remains of the original medieval house, built on a Roman site.
Over the years the building has been considerably altered.
Between 1628 and 1648 the house was largely rebuilt by Thomas Young. The elegant garden front has a classical central entrance bay that dates from around 1630.
The projecting wings date from the 17th century and are adorned with Dutch gables, whilst the Venetian windows below the gables were added around 100 years later.
Treasurer's House has also changed hands many times and several notable people have been associated with it including John Aislabie of Studley Royal, Lord Fairfax the Civil War general and Dr Jacques Sterne whose novelist-nephew Laurence Sterne was a frequent visitor.
The entrance from the garden leads into a medieval style hall but most of the interior dates from the 17th and early 18th centuries. The beautifully carved balusters on the stairs date from the later period as does the elegant drawing room overlooking the garden.
By the 19th century the building had declined in importance and was divided into three separate dwellings.
However, the house was rescued by Yorkshire industrialist Frank Green who acquired the property in 1896. He carried out extensive restoration work, opening up windows that had been bricked up and removed the 17th century upper floor in the hall. He was also responsible for the contents of Treasurer's House which are as important at the building itself.
The furniture includes a refectory table of around 1600 and a marquetry grandfather clock of 1680 and in the drawing room are three pairs of early 18th century gilt-wood mirrors. The house also contains Frank Green's collections of pottery, china and glass and English and Flemish portraits from the 16th - 18th centuries.
In 1930, thirty-four years after he purchased Treasurer's House Frank Green gave it to the National Trust.
The walled garden to the front of the house is dominated by the towering Minster.
Frank Green established the garden between 1897 and 1900 and it remains mostly as it was laid out.
One side of a sunken lawn is bordered by a pollarded plane tree avenue. Along the south-west and south-east walls are raised terrace walks.
2008: 15 Mar-2 Nov: 11:00-16:30 Mon-Thur & Sat-Sun; 3 Nov-30 Nov: 11:00-15:00 Mon-Thur & Sat-Sun Last entry 30mins before close.
Tel: 01904 624247 Treasurer's House Website
