Constable Burton Hall is a grade I-listed Georgian mansion of dressed stone in an extensive and well wooded park in the village of Constable Burton in

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by national parks, including most of the Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors. It is one of four cou ...

, and is privately owned by the Wyvill family. The house is a two-storey ashlar faced structure with a five bay frontage having an elegant recessed Ionic

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many c ...

. The principal entrance is approached by a double flight of steps. The side elevation has a

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedim ...

and there is a large projecting bay to the rear of the house.

History

The estate came into the Wyvill family by marriage in the reign of Edward VI and a house was constructed in Elizabethan times to an H-shaped floor plan. In 1611 Marmaduke Wyvill was created a baronet. The house then passed down to the 7th Baronet, also Sir Marmaduke Wyvill, who in 1768 commissioned

John Carr John Carr may refer to: Politicians *John Carr (Indiana politician) (1793–1845), American politician from Indiana *John Carr (Australian politician, born 1819) (1819–1913), member of the South Australian House of Assembly, 1865–1884 * John H ...

York York is a cathedral city with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss in North Yorkshire, England. It is the historic county town of Yorkshire. The city has many hist ...

to renovate it in the Palladian style. The 7th Baronet was

High Sheriff of Yorkshire The Sheriff is the oldest secular office under the Crown. Formerly the Sheriff was the principal law enforcement officer in the county but over the centuries most of the responsibilities associated with the post have been transferred elsewhere ...

for 1773 and died unmarried in 1774, causing the baronetcy to become dormant after its American heirs failed to claim the title. He left the estate to his cousin and brother-in-law, the Rev.

Christopher Wyvill Christopher Wyvill (1740–1822) was an English cleric and landowner, a political reformer who inspired the formation of the '' Yorkshire Association'' movement in 1779. The American Revolutionary War had forced the government of Lord North to ...

, from whom it descended in turn via the latter's son Marmaduke, the MP for

, to Marmaduke's son, also Marmaduke (1815–1896). He represented Richmond in Parliament for many years and was also a world class chess player. The current owner is his grandson, Charles Wyvill. In 1984, the hall was listed as a

grade II listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern I ...

. The pub in the village is called ''The Wyvill Arms''. The house and gardens are private. Please consult website www.constableburton.com for special events

Popular culture

In the 1945 film '' The Way to the Stars'' the hall was used as the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

headquarters. Its exterior remains little changed today. The hall was also featured in the British television series '' All Creatures Great and Small'', in the episode "Be Prepared", as the home of Major Headingley."Constable Burton Hall, Constable Burton, N Yorks – All Creatures Great & Small, Be Prepared (1980)"
- Waymarking.com

References

External links

Official website
* {{Coord, 54.31609, -1.75003, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Country houses in North Yorkshire Grade I listed buildings in North Yorkshire Gardens in North Yorkshire Grade I listed houses