The Haunting of the Treasurer’s House

 

The Treasurer’s House and Gray’s Court:

History and Hauntings

York is often called the most haunted city in England, and two of its most fascinating historic houses certainly live up to that reputation: The Treasurer’s House and Gray’s Court. Both sit in the shadow of York Minster, both are steeped in centuries of history, and both have ghost stories that have become part of local legend.

The History of the Treasurer’s House

The Treasurer’s House stands just north of York Minster, its story reaching back nearly a thousand years.

The role of Treasurer for the Minster was created in 1091 by Archbishop Thomas of Bayeux. The Treasurer’s job was to manage the Minster’s vast wealth and estates, and for such an important role, a grand residence was needed close to the cathedral. That first house stood on Minster Yard, though today only fragments survive — parts of a wall in nearby Gray’s Court, and some twelfth-century stonework within the later building.

For centuries, the Treasurer lived here, hosting important visitors and enjoying both influence and power. But everything changed in 1547, when the English Reformation brought the position to an end. On 26 May that year, the last Treasurer surrendered the house to the Crown.

From there, the property passed into private hands, including Protector Somerset and Archbishop Robert Holgate. By the late 1500s it was owned by Archbishop Thomas Young, whose family gave the building much of its present form. In the early 1600s they rebuilt large parts of it and added the neat, symmetrical front. In 1617, Sir George Young even hosted King James I there.

Over the following centuries the house passed through various wealthy owners, including Lord Fairfax, and was eventually divided into smaller residences.

Its survival owes much to Frank Green, a wealthy York industrialist. Between 1897 and 1898 he bought up each section of the divided house and carefully restored it with the help of architect Temple Moore. By 1900 the work was complete, and that same year the house welcomed another royal visit — Prince Albert Edward, Princess Alexandra of Denmark, and Princess Victoria.

When Green retired in 1930, he donated the house and its furnishings to the National Trust. This was the very first time the Trust had received a private home with its original contents intact.

Beneath the house lies even deeper history. It was built directly over a Roman road that once led out of York (then called Eboracum). During restoration work, Roman column bases were uncovered in the cellar, one of which still remains in place today.

Today, visitors can explore the grand rooms, stroll through the gardens, and enjoy the café below stairs. Attic and cellar tours reveal hidden corners of the building — and it is here, below ground, that York’s most famous ghost story was born.

Ghosts of the Treasurer’s House

York has no shortage of ghost tales, but the Treasurer’s House is home to one of the most famous of all.

Reports of hauntings go back at least as far as Frank Green’s ownership. Guests at his parties sometimes complained of feeling uneasy in the cellar, or glimpsing figures in the shadows. But the most famous encounter came in the 1950s — an event that made headlines worldwide.

In 1953, an apprentice plumber named Harry Martindale, aged just 18, was sent to repair pipework in the cellar. He had been working up a ladder for about four hours when he heard a faint sound, like a trumpet note repeating itself. Slowly it grew louder, echoing off the walls.

Then, to Harry’s shock, a soldier stepped out of the wall directly beneath him. He wore a plumed helmet. Behind him came a cart horse, and then more soldiers in pairs — around twenty in all.

Harry was frozen. He noticed the soldiers were only visible from the knees up, as though the lower parts of their legs had sunk into the ground. It was only later explained: they were walking on the level of the buried Roman road.

The soldiers carried round shields and short swords, wore green tunics, and had sandals strapped to their knees. Harry described them as “scruffy” and weary, not like the shining soldiers of films. Terrified, he fell from his ladder and scrambled into a corner, hiding as the troop marched past him and faded away.

The experience left him so shaken he could not return to work for weeks. At first, many dismissed his account because his description didn’t match the popular image of Roman legionaries. But years later, archaeologists confirmed that Harry’s soldiers matched the dress of fourth-century auxiliary troops — details Harry could not possibly have known.

Harry told his story many times throughout his life, but he never altered the details, and he never accepted money for it. Many believe this adds great weight to his testimony.

Other spirits are said to haunt the house too. The ghost of George Aislaby, a seventeenth-century owner, is sometimes seen as a shadowy figure or felt as a sudden chill. Visitors and staff also report whispers in empty corridors, unexplained footsteps, and the unsettling sense of being watched.

The house has appeared on several paranormal television shows, but nothing compares to Harry Martindale’s sighting. His chilling encounter remains one of the most famous ghost stories in York.

The History of Gray’s Court

Next door to the Treasurer’s House stands Gray’s Court, another of York’s oldest and most fascinating properties.

Built in the late 12th or early 13th century, it is one of the oldest continuously occupied houses in the city. Parts of its walls are connected directly to the Treasurer’s House, showing that both properties were once part of the same complex.

Over time, Gray’s Court was home to clerics and nobles linked with York Minster. The gardens back directly onto the Minster’s north wall, offering one of the best views in the city.

Later, the property became associated with the Gray family, whose name it still bears today. It remained a private home for centuries, passing through many hands, before becoming the luxury hotel it is today.

Walking its halls, visitors are surrounded by the same stones that have witnessed centuries of York’s history — and perhaps more than a little of its mystery.

The Ghosts of Gray’s Court

Though less well-known than the Treasurer’s House, Gray’s Court has its share of eerie tales.

Guests and staff alike have reported hearing footsteps in empty corridors. People staying overnight describe someone walking past their rooms — but when they check, no one is there.

Figures have been glimpsed in stairwells and at the ends of hallways, only to vanish as soon as they are noticed. Many believe these are former residents — clerics or servants who once lived in the house when it was tied to the Minster.

The gardens also have their stories. At night, shadowy figures are said to drift along the Minster wall. Some appear like hooded monks, moving silently across the lawn. Others seem older still, their presence linked to the very foundations of the Minster itself.

Gray’s Court hasn’t had the same spotlight as the Treasurer’s House, with few formal investigations or TV features, but visitors often describe the same feeling: an atmosphere that is hard to explain, a sense of unseen eyes watching.

Two Houses, One Haunted Legacy

Together, the Treasurer’s House and Gray’s Court form a unique part of York’s history. They connect the city’s Roman roots, medieval power, Tudor politics, and Victorian industry — and they continue to inspire stories today.

For some, they are simply two of York’s most beautiful historic houses. For others, they are proof that the past never fully leaves us.

And if you ever find yourself in York, perhaps you’ll step inside, walk the cellars or gardens, and decide for yourself what lingers in the shadows.