PUREY CUST HOUSE
Considered the largest and most architecturally significant private residence within York’s historic city walls.
Purey Cust House - York
Purey Cust House is considered the largest and most architecturally significant private residence within York’s historic city walls. It stands directly beside York Minster on the former Stoneyard site.
Originally designed in 1825 by acclaimed York architect Richard Hey Sharp, it was commissioned by York Minster's Dean and Chapter to provide accommodation for the cathedral's canons. The original designs for the building are preserved in the York Minster library.
The building takes its name from the very popular Canon Arthur Purey-Cust (Dean of York, 1880 – 1916) whose ‘Benefit Year’ upon retirement, raised enough funds to establish the Purey Cust Hospital, offering low-cost healthcare to local people who otherwise would have been unable to afford it. By the 2000s, the building was no longer viable for its leaseholder Nuffield Hospitals who moved to a larger site.
The building was then renovated as a private residence with many of its Gothic Revival features, the grand reception hall and drawing room, original staircase and three-story, dome-crowned lightwell all taking centre stage.
In January 2026, Chris and Andi Harvey became the new owners and custodians of the property and are looking forward to applying the care and attention that such a prestigious building deserves.
THE GALLERY
