The claim
On Pavement opposite the Shambles, the Golden Fleece takes its name from York's wool merchants, whose guild owned the property when it was mentioned in 1503. The building was largely rebuilt around 1840, yet its old-fashioned, gothic-tinged interior and ghost stories earn it a reputation as the city's most haunted inn. Four en-suite rooms are let upstairs.
What the records show
York's city archives record the property in 1503, when it belonged to the Merchant Adventurers, but nothing in that entry makes it an inn. York Archaeological Trust's Jorvik pages and the Wikipedia article, following Young (2015), have it known as an inn from 1656 and licensed only in 1668, and that licence is the first firm record of drinking use. Historic England lists the standing building as a rebuilding of about 1840, refurbished in 1926, so neither the fabric nor the trade reaches 1503.
| Year | What | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 1503 | Claimed founding | The pub |
| c.1840 | Present building | Building fabric |
| 1668 | First record of a drinking house here | Historic England |
What to look for inside
- Mentioned in York archives in 1503
- Owned by the Merchant Adventurers' Company
- Styles itself York's most haunted inn
Visiting
The Golden Fleece is in York, England, at 16 Pavement, York. We do not list opening times, because they change; the pub’s own site is the place to check before you set out.
Sources
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Fleece,_York
- historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1256915
- the-yorkshireman.com/yorkshires-oldest-pubs/
- www.jorvik.co.uk/golden-fleece/
- camra.org.uk/pubs/golden-fleece-york-123355
- web.archive.org/web/20260307212422/https://www.thegoldenfleeceyork.co.uk/
- ratings.food.gov.uk/business/245755
Know something we don’t?Suggest a correctionLast checked Sept 2026
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