Sewerby Hall (also known as Sewerby House) is a

Grade I listed In the United Kingdom, a listed building is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection. Such buildings are placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Hi ...

Georgian

country house image:Blenheim - Blenheim Palace - 20210417125239.jpg, 300px, Blenheim Palace - Oxfordshire An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a Townhou ...

set in of landscaped gardens in the village of Sewerby, from the seaside town of

Bridlington Bridlington (previously known as Burlington) is a seaside town and civil parish in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is on the Holderness part (Flamborough Head to the Humber estuary) of the Yorkshire Coast by the North Sea. The town is ...

in the

East Riding of Yorkshire The East Riding of Yorkshire, often abbreviated to the East Riding or East Yorkshire, is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It borders North Yorkshire to the north and west, S ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. The main block was built , incorporating some older work, in 3 storeys in brick with a seven window frontage. In 1808, 2-storey bow fronted wings and a semi-circular Doric portico were added and the whole building painted to resemble stone. The wings were later raised to 3 storeys.

History

John Greame, son of Robert Greame, was the first of the Greame family to live at the old

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were usually held the lord's manorial courts, communal mea ...

at Sewerby. He had become quite wealthy on the death of his father in 1708 and bought the estate from Elizabeth Carleill, the last of the previous family to own the property. He built the present Sewerby Hall between 1714–1720, replacing the manor house which had existed on the site for many years. John died in 1746 at the age of 83. His son John Greame II died childless in 1798 at the age of 98, and his widow Alicia Maria (née Spencer) stayed on at the hall until her own death in 1812. It then passed to a nephew, a third John Greame, who had married an heiress, Sarah Yarburgh of Heslington Hall,

York York is a cathedral city in North Yorkshire, England, with Roman Britain, Roman origins, sited at the confluence of the rivers River Ouse, Yorkshire, Ouse and River Foss, Foss. It has many historic buildings and other structures, such as a Yor ...

. Sarah had died young and John Greame III had remarried and moved with his second wife to live in Sewerby Hall with his Aunt Almary. Carving at Sewerby Hall

He commissioned a number of alterations including the addition of a

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 cu ...

in 1808. On his death in 1841 ownership passed to his eldest son Yarburgh Greame, who also took the surname Yarburgh on inheriting his mother's estate at Heslington. Yarburgh made many improvements to the house and gardens at Sewerby, including a large conservatory called the

Orangery An orangery or orangerie is a room or dedicated building, historically where orange and other fruit trees are protected during the winter, as a large form of greenhouse or conservatory. In the modern day an orangery could refer to either ...

in the mid 19th century, a

clock tower Clock towers are a specific type of structure that house a turret clock and have one or more clock faces on the upper exterior walls. Many clock towers are freestanding structures but they can also adjoin or be located on top of another building ...

in 1847, and finally a gatehouse in 1848. He also built a church and a school, designed by Sir Gilbert Scott, on the edge of the estate. He died in 1856 at the age of 70 and the estate went to his sister Alicia Maria, the wife of George Lloyd of Stockton Hall, at Stockton-on-the-Forest,

, and afterwards to their younger son, the Revd Yarburgh Gamaliel Lloyd, a Lincolnshire vicar. He changed his name to Lloyd-Greame and his son, Colonel Yarburgh George Lloyd-Greame, inherited in 1890. The Colonel's elder son, also Yarburgh Lloyd-Greame, sold the house and part of the estate to Bridlington Corporation in 1934. In 1936, the hall and park was opened to the public with a ceremony on 1 June by aviator

Amy Johnson Amy Johnson (born 1 July 1903 – disappeared 5 January 1941) was a pioneering English pilot who was the first woman to fly solo from London to Australia. Flying solo or with her husband, Jim Mollison, she set many long-distance records dur ...

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the Royal Air Force used the house as a hospital and convalescent home for the RAF bases in the area. In May 2012 plans for a £2.6 million restoration project moved forward with a £949,000 grant from the

Heritage Lottery Fund The National Lottery Heritage Fund, formerly the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), distributes a share of National Lottery funding, supporting a wide range of heritage projects across the United Kingdom. History The fund's predecessor bodies were ...

with the work expected to take 30 months. The first phase of the project (new offices, classrooms and a shop), was started in November 2012 and was completed in August 2013. The second phase to restore the interior of the hall was started in September 2013. The restoration work was completed by August 2014.

Attractions

Today, Sewerby Hall is a major tourist attraction in the East Riding of Yorkshire, attracting over 150,000 visitors a year. The hall now houses the Museum of East Yorkshire, including a room dedicated to

, and the Coastguard Museum. The grounds of the hall are home to a small zoo and

aviary An aviary is a large enclosure for confining birds, although bats may also be considered for display. Unlike birdcages, aviaries allow birds a larger living space where Bird flight, they can fly; hence, aviaries are also sometimes known as flig ...

as well as an 18-hole putting green, 9-hole pitch and putt and various gardens. As well as tourist activities, the hall also hosts many local community events. The home ground of Sewerby Cricket Club is situated within the grounds, near the cliff top.

References

External links

Sewerby HallPhotos of Sewerby Hall and surrounding area on geograph
{{authority control Country houses in the East Riding of Yorkshire Grade I listed houses Grade I listed buildings in the East Riding of Yorkshire Houses completed in 1720 Art museums and galleries in the East Riding of Yorkshire History museums in the East Riding of Yorkshire Zoos in England Aviaries Museums in the East Riding of Yorkshire Gardens in the East Riding of Yorkshire Bridlington 1720 establishments in England Grade I listed zoo buildings