North Yorkshire country houses

Castle Howard

• Nearest town: Malton
• Owned by: The Howard family, Earls of Carlisle
• History: Built in the 1700s, Castle Howard has been the seat of the Howard family, Earls of Carlisle, for over 300 years and they still live there today. The estate includes extensive gardens, an arboretum and adventure playground. Castle Howard famously appeared in the 1981 adaptation of Evelyn Waugh’s novel Brideshead Revisited.
• When’s it open? Daily from March to November, with special Christmas openings.

Beningborough Hall

• Nearest town: York
• Owned by: National Trust
• History: The Georgian house was built in 1716 for the Bourchier family, and later passed to the Dawnays. In 1916 it was sold to Enid Scudamore-Stanhope, Countess of Chesterfield, and after her death in 1957 it passed to the National Trust. The house has an extensive portrait collection, walled garden, Victorian laundry, restaurant and garden shop.
• When’s it open? Six days a week (not Mondays) from March to November.

Bolton Abbey Hall

• Nearest town: Skipton
• Owned by: The Cavendish family, Dukes of Devonshire
• History: Bolton Abbey Hall is the former gatehouse of Bolton Priory, a medieval abbey. It was converted into a manor house by the Cavendish family, who own the Bolton Abbey estate and whose main seat is at Chatsworth in Derbyshire.
• When’s it open? There’s no public access to the house, but the priory ruins and much of the estate grounds are open daily throughout the year.

Bolton Hall and Bolton Castle

• Nearest town: Leyburn
• Owned by: The Orde-Powlett family, Lords Bolton
• History: Bolton Hall is a 17th-century house built on the Bolton estate, which has been in the same family since the 12th century. Bolton Castle is the family’s earlier, medieval fortified residence.
• When’s it open? The hall is the private home of Harry Orde-Powlett, Baron Bolton, and is not open to the public. Bolton Castle is run as a tourist attraction by his son, and is open daily from April to November.

Scampston Hall

• Nearest town: Malton
• Owned by: The Legard family
• History: The house was built in the late 1600s for the St Quintin baronets, who lived there until 1933, when the male line died out and the estate passed to the Lestrange Malones and then the Legards through marriage. The current owner, Christopher Legard, has served as High Sheriff of North Yorkshire.
• When’s it open: The house can be visited as part of private tours during the summer months, and the walled gardens are also open to the public.

Howsham Hall

• Nearest town: York
• Owned by: An anonymous private owner
• History: The Jacobean house was built in 1610 for the Bamburgh family, and later passed through several other dynasties, including the Wentworths, Cholmeleys and Stricklands. The latter sold up in the 1940s, and the house became a boys’ boarding school until 2007, after which the present owner bought and restored it.
• When’s it open? Not generally open to the public, but it can be hired for weddings, parties and corporate events through Leeds-based events company Dine, and guests can stay in the 12 bedrooms.

Aske Hall

• Nearest town: Richmond
• Owned by: The Dundas family, Marquesses of Zetland
• History: The Georgian house has been part of the Zetland estate since the Dundas family bought it in 1763. It’s undergone an extensive modernisation programme since the turn of the century, and many of the estate buildings, including the stable block and riding school, have been converted into office space. The grounds were landscaped by Capability Brown.
• When’s it open? Guided tours run on a limited number of days per year, often in September to coincide with the Heritage Open Days festival.

Grantley Hall

• Nearest town: Ripon
• Owned by: Valeria Sykes
• History: This Georgian house on the banks of the River Skell was built for the Norton family, barons Grantley. By 1900, it had been sold to the owner of the Furness Line shipping company, whose wife laid out the listed Japanese garden in 1910. Their son sold it in 1925 to the Aykroyds, carpet manufacturers from Bradford who were friends with the Royal Family. Queen Mary, her daughter Princess Mary and the Princess’s husband, the Earl of Harewood, stayed there in 1937. It was later used as a wartime convalescent home and an adult education centre.
• When’s it open? Valeria Sykes bought the hall in 2015 and it has now re-opened as a luxury spa hotel and wedding venue. Non-residents can dine in the restaurants.

Sutton Park

• Nearest town: York
• Owned by: Sir Reginald Sheffield
• History: The Georgian house was built in 1730 for the Harland family. Since 1963, it has been owned by the Sheffield baronets - Sir Reginald’s daughter Samantha is married to former prime minister David Cameron. The house appears as Ann Walker’s home in the BBC period drama Gentleman Jack.
• When’s it open? The house is only open for tours during the month of June and on the early May and August bank holidays, as well as two days in September for Heritage Open Days. The gardens - which include an Edwardian fernery, Georgian ice-house, woodland walk, playground and tearooms - are open seasonally.

Newby Hall

• Nearest town: Ripon
• Owned by: The Compton family
• History: The house was built in 1697 for the Blackett family, and later passed to the Vyners. Its gardens have been extensively restored by the Compton family over several generations. There is now a miniature railway in the grounds and the house has appeared in Peaky Blinders and the period horror film The Thirteenth Tale.
• When’s it open? Daily from March to September.

Constable Burton Hall

• Nearest town: Leyburn
• Owned by: The Wyvill family
• History: The Palladian house dates from the 1700s, and the estate has been home to Wyvill baronets since Elizabethan times. It appeared as Major Headingley’s home in All Creatures Great and Small and Tatler named its shoot as the best in Yorkshire.
• When’s it open? The house and gardens are only open on a select few days each year, and private group tours can be arranged. There’s also an annual tulip festival. The house can be hired for weddings and parties.

Swinton Park

• Nearest town: Masham
• Owned by: The Cunliffe-Lister family, Earls of Swinton
• History: The house at Swinton was built in 1695, but has been significantly altered and rebuilt over the years. The grounds and five lakes were laid out in the 1700s. It was the home of the Danby family - who built the Druid’s Temple folly on the estate - until 1888, when they sold it to Bradford industrialist Samuel Cunliffe-Lister. They remained there until 1980, but in 2000 the heir to the earldom, Mark Cunliffe-Lister, managed to re-purchase the estate and open it as a luxury hotel.
• When’s it open? Non-residents can use the spa, country club and restaurants.

Duncombe Park

• Nearest town: Helmsley
• Owned by: The Duncombe family, Barons Feversham
• History: The Duncombes have owned the Helmsley estate since 1694, originally living at Helmsley Castle. Duncombe Park was built in the 1700s and the grounds were later extended to include Rievaulx Terrace. Its TV appearances include Parade’s End and The Thirteenth Tale.
• When’s it open? The house hasn’t been open to the public since 2011, but the 30-acre gardens, which include a bird of prey centre, are open from April until August. Rievaulx Terrace is owned by the National Trust and open to the public.

Goldsborough Hall

• Nearest town: Knaresborough
• Owned by: The Oglesby family
• History: The Jacobean house was built in the 1500s for the Hutton family, and it was stormed and occupied by Cromwell’s army during the Civil War. It later became part of the Harewood estate when the Lascelles family bought it as a dower house in 1756. Princess Mary, the only daughter of King George V, lived at Goldsborough from 1922 to 1930 after marriage to the Earl of Harewood’s son, Henry Lascelles. Two of the Queen’s cousins, George and Gerald, spent their childhood there before their father inherited the earldom and they moved to Harewood House. The estate village was auctioned off in 1952 and the house was a nursing home until the Oglesbys bought it in the mid-2000s.
• When’s it open? The house has been renovated and opened as a boutique B&B and wedding venue. Non-residents can eat in the restaurants. The restored gardens are open on several days of the year, including in February for the snowdrop displays and in April and July for National Gardens Scheme events.

Wrea Head Hall

• Nearest town: Scarborough
• Owned by: Gerald Aburrow and Mark Giles
• History: The Victorian house was built in 1881 for the Ellis family, who owned the Midland Railway. John Edward Ellis was an MP who had married into the Rowntree chocolate-making dynasty. They had been living in Nottingham but fell in love with the village of Scalby during holidays to Scarborough and decided to build a house there. The family were hit by tragedy - two of their three sons died in early adulthood. The surviving heir, Harold, married a Canadian woman who had explored and mapped Labrador. Harold’s sister Edith, who was unmarried, bought the estate from him and lived there until her death at 95. In 1948 she donated Wrea Head to the local council for educational purposes. It was sold in 1981 and it became a country house hotel.
• When’s it open? Non-residents can eat in the restaurants.

Kiplin Hall

• Nearest town: Richmond
• Owned by: Kiplin Hall Trust
• History: The Jacobean house was built for the Calvert family in 1622. The first owner, George Calvert, later founded the US state of Maryland. It passed through several families, including the Crowes, Carpenters and Talbots. By the 1950s, the house came close to being demolished until the last of the Talbot family, Bridget Talbot, created a trust to preserve it for future generations.
• When’s it open? The house, grounds and tearoom are open from February to November from Saturday - Wednesday.

Clifton Castle

• Nearest town: Masham
• Owned by: The Hill family, Marquesses of Downshire
• History: Clifton was built in parkland by the River Ure in 1802, on the site of the Scrope family’s earlier castle. A piece of wall dating from the 14th century survives. It later passed to the Preston, Hutton, Pulleine and Cowell families, before being purchased in 1970 by the eighth Marquess of Downshire, whose son lives there today.
• When’s it open? Private tours on certain dates are available and must be pre-booked. They include the grounds and walled kitchen garden. There are also National Gardens Scheme open gardens days in April and June.

Carlton Towers

• Nearest town: Selby
• Owned by: The Fitzalan-Howard family, Dukes of Norfolk
• History: Carlton is a Victorian gothic house built in the 1860s by the Stapleton family, Barons Beaumont. It later passed to the Duke of Norfolk, although the main Fitzalan-Howard family seat is at Arundel Castle in Sussex. The current Duke’s brother, Gerald, lives there. It’s appeared on TV numerous times, including as a French chateau in an episode of The Darling Buds of May.
• When’s it open? The house is open to the public on selected dates throughout the year. There’s also a wedding venue, shoot and cookery school, plus a varied events calendar.

Allerton Castle

• Nearest town: Harrogate
• Owned by: Gerald Rolph
• History: Another gothic mansion, Allerton was built for Richard Arundell in the 1740s. A later owner was King George III’s son Prince Frederick, who built the Temple of Victory that can be seen from the A1. In 1805 it passed to the Barons Stourton, who re-built the Georgian house in Tudor gothic style. They lived there until 1983, when American businessman Gerald Rolph bought and restored it. It’s featured in ITV’s Victoria and the film Lost in Austen.
• When’s it open? Guided tours are available on Wednesdays from Easter until October.

Parcevall Hall

• Nearest town: Skipton
• Owned by: Walsingham College
• History: Parcevall Hall dates from the 1500s, and the manor house had several owners. In 1927, Sir William Milner of Nun Appleton, near Selby, bought it and restored the house and terraced gardens, planting several rare species. He also helped to found the RHS garden at Harlow Carr, near Harrogate. After his death in 1960, he left the estate to the Church, and the house is currently leased by the Diocese of Leeds, who run it as a religious retreat.
• When’s it open? The gardens are open to the public from April until October.

Goddards House

• Nearest town: York
• Owned by: National Trust
• History: This 1920s Arts & Crafts mansion was the home of the Terry’s chocolate-manufacturing family, who could see their factory from the house. It’s been owned by the National Trust since 1984 - they originally bought it as offices, but opened the gardens to the public in 2006 and the house in 2012.
• When’s it open? Wednesday to Sunday

Nunnington Hall

• Nearest town: Pickering
• Owned by: National Trust
• History: The current house dates from the 18th century, but there has been a manor at Nunnington going back centuries. One of the estate owners was the doctor who told Queen Elizabeth I that she would never be able to have children. The Graham family, Viscounts Preston, lived there from the 17th century, and it passed into the Norton Conyers branch of the Graham family until 1839. The Rutson family, Liverpool merchants, were later owners, and the last Rutson bequeathed the house to the National Trust in 1952.
• When’s it open? The hall, gardens, shop and tearoom are open daily except Mondays.

Broughton Hall

• Nearest town: Skipton
• Owned by: The Tempest family
• History: The Georgian house has been in the Tempest family for centuries. The entire mansion is available for hire, and there’s also a business park on the estate. It operates as a wedding venue and offers holiday accommodation. It’s also made regular appearances on TV and in film.
• When’s it open? Clients can book activities such as Land Rover driving experiences, but it’s not generally open to the public.

Hovingham Hall

• Nearest town: York
• Owned by: The Worsley family
• History: The Palladian mansion was built for the Worsley baronets on an estate they had owned since the 1500s. King George III learned to ride at the Hovingham stables, and the estate reputedly has the oldest cricket pitch in England. The aunt of the current baronet, Katharine Worsley, is married to Prince Edward, the Queen’s cousin.
• When’s it open? The house and gardens are open to the public during June.

Ripley Castle

• Nearest town: Harrogate
• Owned by: The Ingilby family
• History: The Ingilby baronets have owned the estate since medieval times, and the house dates from the 18th century. The grounds have a deer park, walled garden and hothouses. The house is also haunted by a poltergeist.
• When’s it open? The parkland and gardens are open from March to November, and daily guided tours of the house run during the spring and summer.

Newburgh Priory

• Nearest town: Coxwold
• Owned by: The Wombwell family
• History: The present Tudor building was the home of the Earls of Fauconberg, and is one of several possible burial sites for Oliver Cromwell. There are 40 acres of grounds with a water garden, topiary, and walled garden. It’s been owned by the Wombwell baronets since 1825.
• When’s it open? The house and grounds are open on Wednesdays and Sundays from April to June.

Thorp Perrow Hall

• Nearest town: Bedale
• Owned by: The Ropner family
• History: The 18th-century house was owned by the Danby and Milbank families until the Ropner baronets, who were descended from German merchants, bought it in 1927. They planted a world-renowned arboretum in the grounds.
• When’s it open? The gardens, arboretum, tearoom and bird of prey centre are open throughout the year. The hall is not generally open to the public, but two Lunch at the House events are held annually.

Birdsall House

• Nearest town: Malton
• Owned by: The Willoughby family, Barons Middleton
• History: The 18th-century house was not originally the preferred seat of the barons Middleton, who also owned Middleton Hall in Warwickshire and Wollaton Park in Nottingham. By the late 19th century, it became their primary residence, and in 1923 they sold their other estates.
• When’s it open? The house opened to the public for the first time in 2018, and guided tours of the art and antique collections are available monthly.

Markenfield Hall

• Nearest town: Ripon
• Owned by: The Norton family, Barons Grantley
• History: Incredibly, this moated medieval manor house has been in the Norton family since 1310, although it was confiscated from them for treason for 200 years. The current owner is Lady Deirdre, the seventh Lord Grantley’s widow. The chapel has become a unique wedding venue and the moat is still operational. As it was rented out as a farmhouse for centuries, it’s never been drastically altered.
• When’s it open? On selected days in May and June.

Norton Conyers

• Nearest town: Ripon
• Owned by: The Graham family
• History: The medieval manor house has Stuart and Georgian additions and is thought to be the inspiration for Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre.
• When’s it open? The house, walled gardens and orangery are open on selected days during summer.

Rudding Park

• Nearest town: Harrogate
• Owned by: The Mackaness family
• History: Although the estate is older, the current Regency house was built in 1805 for the Gordon family. Since 1972, it’s been developed as a hotel, spa, golf course and conference centre. Leeds United manager Marcelo Bielsa lived there temporarily after first arriving in England in 2018.
• When’s it open? Non-residents can use the spa, restaurant and golf facilities.

Birstwith Hall

• Nearest town: Harrogate
• Owned by: The Aykroyd family
• History: The house is owned by the third Aykroyd baronet, and his grandfather laid out the impressive gardens in the 1920s.
• When’s it open? The gardens are open several times during summer as part of the National Gardens Scheme events.

Heslington Hall

• Nearest town: York
• Owned by: University of York
• History: There has been a hall on the site for centuries, but the current house is Victorian and was owned by the Yarburgh family until World War Two, when they vacated it and the RAF occupied the building. They never returned and the university made it their administrative headquarters in the 1960s.
• When’s it open? The restored courtyard garden is open daily.

Stockeld Park

• Nearest town: Wetherby
• Owned by: The Grant family
• History: The Stockeld estate was owned by the Middleton family, and the present house dates from the late 1700s. A scandalous affair between the then-owner, William Middleton’s wife and a groom led to the couple divorcing and the house being left empty for decades before it was sold to Bradford mill owner Robert Foster in 1893. Robert’s great-grandson Peter Grant is the current occupant. He has developed the estate to include an outdoor adventure park and Yorkshire’s largest Christmas tree plantation.
• When’s it open? The adventure park is open during school holidays.

Braithwaite Hall

• Nearest town: Leyburn
• Owned by: National Trust
• History: This 17th-century manor house is thought to have been built by lead mine owners. There is evidence of an Iron Age hill fort nearby. It’s tenanted and run as a B&B during the summer months.
• When’s it open? Visits can be arranged in advance in June, July and August.

Middlethorpe Hall

• Nearest town: York
• Owned by: National Trust
• History: The house was built in 1899 for the Barlow family, master cutlers who wanted to establish themselves among the gentry. It was inspired by the design of Hampton Court Palace. It was a girls’ boarding school and even a nightclub before Historic House Hotels bought it in 1980 and restored the gardens and stables. They later gifted the property to the National Trust, although it is still run as a hotel.
• When’s it open? Non-residents can visit the spa and restaurant.

Moulton Hall

• Nearest town: Richmond
• Owned by: National Trust
• History: The 17th-century house had several owners, including Sir Ralph Milbanke, whose daughter sold it to pay for his daughter’s dowry for her to marry the poet Lord Byron. It’s known for its beautiful carved staircase and passed to the National Trust in 1966. The current tenants are the Viscount and Baroness Eccles.
• When’s it open? Tours can be organised by arrangement with the tenants.

Aldby Park

• Nearest town: York
• Owned by: The Winn family
• History: Aldby was built in the 18th century to replace a Tudor house on the site. It was the ancestral seat of the Darley family. It suffered significant damage from army requisitioning during World War Two. It was purchased by the Winn family after the war, and the house renovated and gardens restored. It is now a popular wedding venue.
• When’s it open? The house is not open to the public but the gardens can be toured by private arrangement.

Brockfield Hall

• Nearest town: York
• Owners: The Wood family
• History: Brockfield and its walled garden were built in the early 19th century for Benjamin Agar. The current owners are connected to the Fitzalan-Howard family, who own Carlton Towers near Selby. The 17th Duke of Norfolk’s brother bought the property for his daughter and her husband, who still live there. There’s an impressive collection of paintings by the Staithes Group of artists.
• When’s it open? Spring Bank Holiday and daily in August. Private tours for large groups can be arranged throughout the year.

Grassfield Hall

• Nearest town: Pateley Bridge
• Owned by: The Homer family
• History: Grassfield was built in 1810 for the Hutchinson family, who owned lead mines. In 1883, it was sold to the Yorkes, who owned the Bewerley estate until the 1920s. In 1896 the tenant was a Major Collins, a surgeon who managed the Harewood estate. The Yorkes sold the house in 1925 when their estate was broken up, and a vicar moved in, and the house was used for document storage during the war. In 1975 it was converted into a hotel, but closed in 2001. The house then fell into decay, and the grounds became overgrown. Alex and Lisa Homer bought it in 2010 and opened a B&B in 2014.
• When’s it open? Guests only.

Austwick Hall

• Nearest town: Settle
• Owned by: Eric Culley and Micheal Pearson
• History: Austwick dates from the 16th century, when John Yorke bought the estate. It was then owned by the Ingleby family for 200 years. The Clapham family lived there from 1829 until 1928, and were responsible for designing the gardens and planting the woodland. There’s now a snowdrop garden, sculpture trail and art collection. The borders have been extensively re-planted since the current owners, who run the house as a B&B, bought it in 1999.
• When’s it open? Tours of the house and gardens for groups can be arranged during the summer months.

Fountains Hall

• Nearest town: Ripon
• Owned by: National Trust
• History: Fountains Hall is an Elizabethan prodigy house built using stone from the ruins of Fountains Abbey. It is part of the Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal estate, and at one time was owned by William Aislabie, who laid out the water gardens at Studley Royal. From 1928, Lady Doris Vyner lived there, and she received guests including King George VI and the Queen Mother before he ascended to the throne. During the war the Vyners’ son and daughter died aged just 19 and 18, and the hall was used as a school sanatorium. It fell into disrepair until the National Trust took it on in 1983. Parts of the building are used for holiday lets.
• When’s it open? There’s no general access to the hall, but the grounds are open daily.

Mulgrave Castle

• Nearest town: Whitby
• Owned by: The Phipps family, Marquesses of Normanby
• History: There were two older castles on the site before the present Mulgrave manor house was built. It passed to the Phippses through marriage from the Darnley family in 1718. The last Maharajah of the Punjab and supermodel Elle Macpherson have both rented the house.
• When’s it open? There are several holiday cottages and a shoot on the estate. The Normanbys open the restored gardens to the public on five days each summer, with proceeds going to local charities.

Wykeham Abbey

• Nearest town: Scarborough
• Owned by: The Dawnay family, Viscounts Downe
• History: The 18th-century house is built on the site of a Cistercian nunnery, and some ruins are still visible. It’s been the seat of the Downes since 1909, and served as a Red Cross military hospital during World War One.
• When’s it open? Rarely. The Downes sometimes extend invitations to private groups to tour the house and gardens.

Thornton Watlass Hall

• Nearest town: Masham
• Owned by: The Dodsworth family
• History: The Georgian hall has been the home of the Dodsworth baronets for centuries. It has featured in Wuthering Heights, The Thirteenth Tale, Heartbeat and All Creatures Great and Small.
• When’s it open? The hall is run as a B&B, but private tours of the gardens can be arranged.

West and South Yorkshire country houses

Harewood House

• Nearest town: Leeds
• Owned by: The Harewood House Trust
• History: Harewood is one of England’s 10 foremost treasure houses, along with Castle Howard. It was built in the late 1700s for the Lascelles family, Earls of Harewood, who still live there today and own the estate. Princess Mary, daughter of King George V, lived there from 1930 until her death in 1965 - she was married to Henry Lascelles, the sixth earl, and her two sons were first cousins of the Queen. The house has appeared in Victoria and Downton Abbey.
• When’s it open? The house, gardens and grounds - which include a bird garden and small farm - are open from March to November, plus a special Christmas event.

Wentworth Woodhouse

• Nearest town: Rotherham
• Owned by: Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust
• History: Wentworth is an incredible house - or rather two houses, built back-to-back. It’s the ancestral seat of the Earls of Fitzwilliam, who became wealthy thanks to the coal seams on their land. They rented the house out after World War Two and sold up in the 1980s, although they still own the estate. King George V and Queen Mary visited in 1912. The house has appeared in Gentleman Jack and Downton Abbey.
• When’s it open? A charitable trust bought the house in 2017, saving it from an uncertain future after decades of private ownership. It’s now open regularly, although tours must be pre-booked and only a limited number of rooms are accessible. Major restoration work is planned.

Wentworth Castle

• Nearest town: Barnsley
• Owned by: National Trust
• History: The Georgian house was the seat of the Earls of Strafford. It was built as a deliberate rival to Wentworth Woodhouse by a disgruntled member of the family who felt he had a claim to inherit the main estate. The last of the family, Bruce Vernon-Wentworth, sold the estate to Barnsley Council in 1948. The house has since been used as an adult education college.
• When’s it open? The gardens and parkland have been restored and are open to visitors throughout the year. The National Trust manage the site, which has glasshouses and a ruined castle folly.

Nostell Priory

• Nearest town: Wakefield
• Owned by: National Trust
• History: The Georgian treasure house was built by the Winn family to show off their wealth and growing political influence, and they donated to the National Trust in 1953. It’s known for its world-class collection of Thomas Chippendale furniture.
• When’s it open? The house is open daily from March to November. There are also a series of special events throughout the year, including during the winter closure period. The parkland, visitor centre and cafe are open all year.

Brodsworth Hall

• Nearest town: Doncaster
• Owned by: English Heritage
• History: Brodsworth was the seat of the Thellusson family, who derived much of their wealth from coal mining. It’s considered one of the best-preserved Victorian houses in England, as it was left pretty much untouched from the 1860s onwards. The family passed it to English Heritage in the 1980s. Since then, the gardens have been significantly restored. It’s appeared in Victoria and The Darkest Hour.
• When’s it open? Daily during the summer and on weekends in winter.

Cusworth Hall

• Nearest town: Doncaster
• Owned by: Doncaster Council
• History: The Georgian house was the home of the Battie-Wrightson family until they were forced to sell up in the 1950s. Many features of the grounds, such as the kitchen garden and bowling green, have not survived. It’s now a museum.
• When’s it open? Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and at weekends. The parkland is open all year.

Cannon Hall

• Nearest town: Barnsley
• Owned by: Barnsley Council
• History: Cannon Hall was the home of the Spencer-Stanhope family, who sold it to the council in the 1950s. It’s been open as a museum ever since. The gardens contain Georgian glasshouses and Victorian pleasure grounds.
• When’s it open? The house and grounds can be visited throughout the year. The estate’s home farm is a separate visitor attraction.

Temple Newsam

• Nearest town: Leeds
• Owned by: Leeds City Council
• History: Temple Newsam has been described as ‘the Hampton Court of the north’. The Tudor house was built in the 1500s for the Earls of Lennox. The Ingram family, Viscounts Irvine, bought the estate in 1622. It descended by marriage to Edward Wood, Lord Halifax, who served as Foreign Secretary and who sold Temple Newsam to the council in 1922.
• When’s it open? The house, grounds and home farm are open throughout the year.

Lotherton Hall

• Nearest town: Leeds
• Owned by: Leeds City Council
• History: The Victorian/Edwardian house was the main seat of the Gascoigne family from 1905. They still own the estate land, but bequeathed the house to the council in 1968.
• When’s it open? The house, grounds and bird garden are open throughout the year.

Bramham Park

• Nearest town: Wetherby
• Owned by: The Lane-Fox family
• History: The Baroque house was built in the late 1700s for the Barons Bingley, and later passed to the Lane-Fox family. It was empty for 80 years after a devastating fire in 1828, but was restored by later generations of the family. It now hosts events such as the Bramham Horse Trials and Leeds Festival, and has made regular appearances on TV.
• When’s it open? Tours of the house can be arranged in advance and parts of the gardens are also open to the public.

Shibden Hall

• Nearest town: Halifax
• Owned by: Calderdale Council
• History: Shibden shot to fame this year when it appeared in the BBC period drama Gentleman Jack, about the life of its most famous owner, Anne Lister. The Tudor house was the Lister seat from 1615 until 1926. The family donated it to the council in 1933 and it is now a museum.
• When’s it open? The house and parkland are open daily throughout the year.

East Riddlesden Hall

• Nearest town: Keighley
• Owned by: National Trust
• History: East Riddlesden was built in 1642 by cloth merchant James Murgatroyd. There is a medieval tithe barn in the grounds and a Catholic priests’ hiding hole. The house has appeared in Wuthering Heights and BBC period drama Gunpowder.
• When’s it open? Open daily apart from Fridays. Closed during December.

Holdsworth House

• Nearest town: Halifax
• Owned by: The Pearson family
• History: The Jacobean house was the home of the Wadsworth family until 1895, and it was then rented to several tenants. Thomas Ashworth Hoyle bought it in 1935 and lived there until 1962 when they sold it to the Pearsons, who still own it today. Holdsworth became a country club, and The Beatles famously stayed there in 1964.
• When’s it open? The house is now a hotel, and non-residents are welcome to dine in the restaurant.

Bowcliffe Hall

• Nearest town: Wetherby
• Owned by: Bayford Group
• History: The early-19th century house has had several prominent owners. The Lane-Fox family lived there after nearby Bramham Park was damaged by fire, and in 1907 they sold it to the owner of a mining company. In 1917, aviation pioneer Robert Blackburn bought it - he was the first Yorkshireman to ever design and build an aircraft. In 1914 he made the world’s first scheduled flight between Leeds and Bradford. Since his death in 1955, the house has been used as offices.
• When’s it open? The estate is a popular wedding venue, and tours of the grounds can be booked. It also hosts corporate events, and there’s a private members’ club themed around 1920s motoring inside the house.

Oakwell Hall

• Nearest town: Birstall
• Owned by: Kirklees Council
• History: The Elizabethan house was the home of the Batt family, and passed into local authority ownership in 1928. It was the inspiration for Fieldhead in Charlotte Bronte’s novel Shirley. Period dramas Gunpowder and Victoria were both filmed in the house.
• When’s it open? The house is open from April to September, and tours can be pre-booked at other times.

Creskeld Hall

• Nearest town: Otley
• Owned by: The Parkinson family
• History: The oldest parts of the house date from the 1600s, but most of it was built between 1850 and 1920 for the Wentworth and later Rhodes families. Bertram Parkinson, the grandfather of the current owners, bought it in 1919. Local MP Sir Malcolm Stoddart-Stott was a long-term tenant from 1945 until 1973. The house appears as Home Farm in the TV soap Emmerdale.
• When’s it open? The house is a private residence, but the gardens are open several times a year for National Gardens Scheme events. There’s a moat, water garden, terrace, walled kitchen garden, croquet lawn, canals and rare species.

Woodsome Hall

• Nearest town: Huddersfield
• Owners: Woodsome Hall Golf Club
• History: The Elizabethan house was the main residence of the Kaye family until it passed to the Earls of Dartmouth in the 1700s. They used it mainly as a dower house and a country retreat until they moved out in 1910 and leased the land to a golf club, who later purchased it outright.
• When’s it open? The hall is the golf clubhouse, and is open to paying members of the public.

East Yorkshire country houses

Rise Hall

• Nearest town: Hornsea
• Owners: Dine
• History: The ancient manor of Rise had several owners, including the future King Richard III. The present house was built for politician Richard Bethell in 1815. In 1884, a cricket pitch on the estate hosted a match in which one team consisted entirely of 11 brothers. It housed a searchlight battery during World War Two, and later became a convent school, being owned by a religious order until 1995. In 2001, it was bought by TV presenter and property expert Sarah Beeny, and became the focus of a TV series, Sarah Beeny’s Restoration Nightmare, which documented her work to renovate the house and open it as a wedding venue. She sold up in 2019.
• When’s it open? Rise’s new owners are the Gill family, who own Leeds-based events business Dine. The hall can be hired for weddings, corporate events and parties.

Dalton Hall

• Nearest town: Beverley
• Owners: The Hotham family
• History: Dalton is a Georgian house that has been home to the Hotham baronets since the 18th century. The nearby village is still estate-owned.
• When’s it open? The house is not open to the public but the walled kitchen garden can be hired for weddings. The grounds are also open for several public events annually, including a motorcycle rally and the Holderness Hunt point-to-point races.

Sledmere House

• Nearest town: Driffield
• Owners: The Sykes family
• History: Sledmere was built in 1751 for the Sykes family, who had made their fortune in trade in Hull and married into the landed family who owned the manor of Sledmere. The Sykes baronets still live there today. It suffered a major fire in 1911 and had to be restored. The Long Library is said to be one of the finest rooms in England.
• When’s it open? The house and grounds are open from April until October. There is a farm, shop, museum, knot garden, deer house, Georgian rose garden and cafe.

Burnby Hall Gardens

• Nearest town: Pocklington
• Owners: East Riding Council and the Stewarts Trust
• History: Burnby was the home of Major Percy Stewart and his wife Katharine from 1901 until the Major’s death in the 1960s. They were Edwardian explorers and adventurers who travelled the world and brought back many mementoes. They left the estate in trust to the people of Pocklington after their deaths.
• When’s it open? The hall is currently used as council offices, but the gardens, which include a nationally-significant water lily collection and a museum, are open from March to November.

Burton Constable Hall

• Nearest town: Hull
• Owned by: Burton Constable Foundation
• History: The Elizabethan house has extensive 18th- and 19th-century interiors, and has been home to the Constable family for over 400 years. The house is now a museum and the grounds include an orangery, lakes, and even a sperm whale skeleton.
• When’s it open? The hall is open from April to November, every day except Monday. The grounds are open daily.

Sewerby Hall

• Nearest town: Bridlington
• Owners: East Riding Council
• History: The Georgian house was the home of the Lloyd-Graeme family, who sold it to the local council in 1934. Two years later, the aviator Amy Johnson flew into the parkland to officially open the grounds to the public. The house remains a museum today.
• When’s it open? The house, zoo, gardens and aviary are open daily from March to September. In winter the house is only open at weekends.

Burton Agnes Hall

• Nearest town: Driffield
• Owned by: Burton Agnes Preservation Trust
• History: The Elizabethan house was built for the Griffith family in 1601, and later passed to the Boynton baronets. Then skull of Anne Griffith is reputedly hidden in a wall in the house and legend has it that it will scream if removed from Burton Agnes. In the 1950s it was a stud farm, and then passed to a cousin, Simon Cunliffe-Lister, son of the Earl of Swinton, in 1989. He and his mother, Dame Susan, still manage the house.
• When’s it open? Daily from April to October. There are also seasonal openings for special events, including the Halloween trail, Christmas and the spring snowdrop walk.

Garrowby Hall

• Nearest town: Pocklington
• Owned by: The Wood family, Earls of Halifax
• History: Garrowby has been owned by the Wood family for over 200 years, but has only been their main seat since the 1930s, when the first Earl of Halifax, who served as Viceroy of India, chose it over Hickleton Hall, near Doncaster. There is now a major racing stud on the estate, where Dame Judi Dench stables horses. The Queen has stayed at Garrowby when visiting York Racecourse.
• When’s it open? Almost never, although there are several public rights of way through the estate, which is centred on the village of Bugthorpe. The family host school visits for children to teach them about the countryside.

Houghton Hall

• Nearest town: Market Weighton
• Owned by: The Watson family, Barons Manton
• History: The Georgian house was the home of the Langdale family, ending up in the ownership of Joyce Langdale. She married the 10th and last Earl Fitzwillian of Wentworth Woodhouse, and so passed Houghton to her nephew, Rupert Watson, The current Lord and Lady Manton, Miles and Libby, moved in in 2003.
• When’s it open? The grounds used to be the home of the Vale of York Polo Club. Guests can now stay in the old East Wing, which has been restored and converted into holiday lets.

Londesborough Hall

• Nearest town: Market Weighton
• Owned by: The Ashwin family
• History: An Elizabethan house was built for the Clifford family, Earls of Cumberland, and later passed to the Boyles. When Lady Charlotte Boyle married into the Cavendish family, Dukes of Devonshire, her husband opted to demolish the hall to save money, although he did replace it with a hunting lodge. The estate was later sold to ‘railway king’ George Hudson, who added his own private station, but when he went bankrupt it was sold again to Albert Denison, who built the current Victorian house.
• When’s it open? The house is a private residence, but the Yorkshire Wolds Way footpath passes through the parkland.