Elmswell Old Hall open day 2022: This is when you can visit 17th-century Yorkshire ruin that's only accessible once a year

The 17th-century ruins stand on private land that is not normally accessible other than during the site's annual open day.

The listed hall, which is part of the Elmswell estate, was built in 1635 though the manor itself dates back to the Norman Conquest.

It was one of the first brick buildings in East Yorkshire when its first owner Henry Best, a gentleman farmer and well-known diarist of the period, commissioned it. Its listing was upgraded from Grade II to Grade II* in 1998.

The large bricks were manufactured in Beverley and would have been transported up the River Hull by barge, while the chamfered beams would have been shipped into Bridlington from the Baltic ports.

The hall has not been occupied since 1965 when the last tenant farmers moved out, and by the 1970s its roof had collapsed. In the last decade the owners, the Mackrill family, have undertaken remedial works to make the remaining ruin safe.

The Mackrills have disputed that Henry Best ever lived in the hall, which preservation societies have claimed was where he wrote a series of agricultural manuals now kept by the Treasure House in Beverley.

At one point East Riding Council even tried to secure a compulsory purchase order on the hall to enable it to be saved, but a compromise for its restoration was eventually reached.

It is open between 10.30am-3.30pm with parking available. Dogs are not allowed.

Road signs will be displayed with directions to the site and parking will be available although access to the site from the car park is via a narrow, rutted track and could be unsuitable for people with mobility issues.

CounClaire Holmes, portfolio holder for planning, infrastructure and housing at East Riding Council said: "There is so much historical significance attached to Elmswell Old Hall and so this is a great, and rare, opportunity for members of the public to visit the ruins of this once great old hall."