Bonfire Night is fast approaching, and one historic York pub flat-out refuses to celebrate November 5th.
The Guy Fawkes Inn, situated on High Petergate, is traditionally believed to stand on the very ground where the infamous Gunpowder Plot conspirator was born. Yet while fireworks, sparklers, and bonfires light up the rest of the UK, the 16th-century coaching inn takes a decidedly different stance, honouring a long-held tradition to completely skip the celebrations.
Instead of burning effigies of its famous namesake, the inn invites visitors to tuck into traditional pub hospitality and escape the outdoor chaos. The building itself is packed with authentic period character, lit by original gas lanterns and heated with roaring real log fires.
The property sits directly opposite St Michael le Belfrey church, where Fawkes was baptised on 16th April 1570. His old school, St Peter’s, is also just a short stroll away. The deep historical connection pulls in tourists from across the globe, especially visitors from the United States eager to learn the real story behind the gunpowder plot.
Guests staying overnight are even treated to complimentary guided walking tours of York led by local expert Dave Hall, who takes visitors through the city’s cobbled snickelways while revealing its rich heritage and resident ghost tales.
Simon Cotton, managing director of the Fat Badger Group, said: “The inn has a fascinating connection to Guy Fawkes, which continues to attract visitors from across the world. But there’s much more to its history than its famous namesake.
“There’s even a local story about a child ghost said to haunt the building, believed to be linked to a child who died during a cholera outbreak. It’s these little-known stories that make the inn such an interesting place to stay.”
The quirky spot has just undergone a massive £3 million transformation, expanding into an adjoining Grade I-listed building to take its total offering to 27 boutique bedrooms.
So while the rest of Britain gathers around the flames on 5 November, visitors at the Guy Fawkes Inn can kick back with a quiet pint by the fireside, soaking up the history of the country’s most notorious plotter without a single firework in sight.
