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The Historic Houses organisation represents more than 1,600 privately owned historic houses, castles and gardens throughout the UK and more than 300 of these are free-to-visit for members. These include many large, well known properties like Blenheim Palace, Harewood House,Hever Castle, Raby Castle and Sandringham House.
Allerton Castle
In a previous article, I’ve given my choices of Top Ten Historic Houses in England with nearly all being such large, well known properties.
However, I’ve visited many less well known properties, some of which are quite small and hidden away and may only be open for a few days a year. This is my first list of what I call Unusual Historic Houses.
Although these unusual Historic Houses would not individually provide enough material for a full article on this website, they are nevertheless well worth visiting and the brief details provided below will help you decide which you may wish to visit.
The selected Unusual Historic Houses are very much my personal choices, with input from my wife who is particularly interested in the gardens. The six properties are all within the Historic Houses free-to-visit list – see below for more details.
Allerton Castle – Entirely Renovated and Refurnished
Allerton Castle Drawing Room
The Allerton estate ten miles east of Harrogate dates back to Norman times, however the current Tudor-Gothic style Allerton Castle (not a genuine defensive castle of course) only dates back to the mid-19th Century.
At that time the house was owned by the Stourton family and this continued until it was sold in 1983 to an American businessman, Dr Gerald Rolph. The Stourtons had already sold off the entire contents of the Castle in 1965 and the buildings were in a bad state of disrepair.
Hence what visitors see within the Castle is almost entirely the result of Dr Rolph’s renovations and refurnishing. Fortunately these have been to a very high standard.
Allerton Castle Garden
Highlights of our self-guided tour were the oak panelled Great Hall with gallery above, the ornate Drawing Room, with portraits of George II and Queen Caroline, and the Music Room which houses Dr Rolph’s collection of American automated music machines, including a Wurlitzer Automatic Harp.
There is a small, attractive garden by the house arranged around a central pool containing water lilies.
Allerton Castle is open to visitors on Tuesdays from March to October.
Bickleigh Castle – Riverside Castle with Thatched Norman Chapel
Bickleigh Castle
Bickleigh Castle is a curious mixture of buildings from various periods. It is situated on the banks of the River Exe four miles south of Tiverton.
Originally a medieval water castle, it was remodelled as a fortified manor house in the 15th Century.
The buildings were badly damaged during the Civil War, with restoration only taking place in the early 20th Century.
We took a self-guided tour of the Castle’s fascinating rooms with very helpful information sheets along the way.
The Great Hall is particularly impressive as are the various pieces of weaponry adorning the walls around the Castle.
Thatched Norman Chapel at Bickleigh Castle
A curious artifact in the Castle is a suit of armour worn by King Charles I, left at the Castle when his wife who was visiting had to leave the country.
The small garden by the Castle has lawns and shrubs and a moat. Across the road there is a lawn and flower beds and a remarkable Norman Chapel with a thatched roof.
After the Castle tour, we very much enjoyed a Devon cream tea served in the castle forecourt, where we were joined by the castle’s owner, Sarah.
Bickleigh Castle is open to visitors on Thursdays from April to October.
Browsholme Hall – Oldest Family Home in Lancashire
Browsholme Hall
Hidden away in the heart of the Forest of Bowland is a fine Tudor house, Browsholme Hall, that claims to be the oldest surviving family home in Lancashire. It has been the home of the Parker family since 1507.
The one hour guided tour of the Hall commences in the Great Hall, a large beamed Tudor room with dark wooden furniture dating to the 1500s and 1600s.
The Library next door has Jacobite relics, including a silver pistol reputedly owned by Bonnie Prince Charlie.
The nearby Drawing Room and Dining Room are decorated with numerous portrait paintings, some ancient and some quite recent.
Browsholme Hall Gardens and Parkland
Two storeys up an oak staircase leads to the Yellow Bedroom, the Oak Parlour and the Velvet Bedroom.
The garden has several attractive features including the long terrace, a yew walk and a parterre.
From the garden we continued on a gentle one and half mile walk through the parkland by the lake, with great views over the Forest of Bowland countryside along the way.
Browsholme Hall is open to the public some Tuesdays and Wednesdays between May and October.
Eyam Hall – Gritstone Hall in Plague Village
Eyam Hall
The Derbyshire village of Eyam is known for its selfless approach to the 1666 plague, when it completely isolated itself so as not to spread the infection.
This is well explained in a museum in the village adding an extra dimension when visiting the Hall.
Eyam Hall itself dates from after this event, being built in 1672 by Thomas Wright and given as a wedding present for John and Elizabeth Wright. It has been owned by the Wright family ever since.
It is built from the local gritstone and hence blends well with its picturesque surroundings.
A tour of the Hall takes in eight rooms with an audio guide available as a mobile phone download. This gives detailed information about each room including furnishings and paintings.
Eyam Hall Dining Room
We were particularly impressed with the Tapestry Room, the Library and the Dining Room.
The gardens by the house are on two levels with colourful herbaceous borders, a small conservatory and many fruit trees. There are attractive seating areas around the gardens including one around a small fountain.
The Courtyard by the house features several small craft shops plus a refreshment outlet.
Eyam Hall is open four days a week during, March, April and October plus some bank holidays.
Peover Hall – Elizabethan House with Second World War Useage
Peover Hall
Peover Hall is an Elizabethan house in Cheshire dating back to 1585. It was built by Sir Randle Mainwaring as the family residence.
It is still a family home, but now owned by the Brooks family who had to restore the house after many years of neglect and with all the contents being sold off.
It was used during the second world war as US General Patton’s HQ and also as a POW facility.
Peover Hall is quite hidden away near the village of Over Peover and our sat-nav proved unhelpful. When we eventually arrived 15 minutes before our prebooked tour, the place was completely deserted.
This gave us a chance to see the attractive gardens, including the walled garden, before the other visitors and tour guides arrived.
Peover Hall Gardens
The Hall tour took about an hour and included the Great Hall with an unusual wooden ceiling, the Oak Bedroom with original oak wall cladding, Patton’s room and, on the top floor, the Long Gallery with a strange trussed ceiling looking like an upside down boat.
The elegant Carolean stable block should not be missed and as also the nearby St Lawrence’s Church with a US flag presented by General Patton.
Peover Hall is open for pre-booked tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, May to September.
Scawby Hall – Stubbs’ Horse Paintings
Scawby Hall
Scawby Hall is about six miles south-east of Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire. It is a Jacobean manor house built by Richard Nelthorpe in 1605 and still occupied by the Nelthorpe family.
However the hall frontage and windows are 18th Century and some crenallations were added in the 19th Century.
The hall tour passes through several small interesting rooms on the ground and first floors. There are some fine pieces of furniture along the way, but for me the George Stubbs’ horse paintings were the highlight of the tour. The Nelthorpe family was one of the first patrons of Stubbs, who was born 300 years ago in 1724.
There is an attractive three acre walled garden by the house with orchards, vegetable beds and herbaceous borders.
Scawby Hall is open to visitors for about 30 days a year from May to September and pre-booking is required.
If you intend to visit more than a couple of the Historic Houses properties, then taking up annual membership may save you money. Individual membership is £68 a year, joint membership £108 a year, children (3-16 years) £30 a year. However if you enter code STEW05 you will get a £5 discount when you join via the Historic Houses website. This applies to new members and if you wish to give annual membership as a gift.
When planning a visit to one of these Unusual Historic Houses, please check opening times on the individual property’s website as they can vary at short notice due to special events.
Unusual Historic Houses: Allerton, Bickleigh, Browsholme, Eyam, Peover, Scawby was posted 31st August 2024 by STEVE HANSON. The photographs were taken by BARBARA HANSON.
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Unusual Historic Houses: Allerton, Bickleigh, Browsholme, Eyam, Peover, Scawby
*** Special Offer: For a £5 discount on Historic Houses membership use promo code STEW05 ***
The Historic Houses organisation represents more than 1,600 privately owned historic houses, castles and gardens throughout the UK and more than 300 of these are free-to-visit for members. These include many large, well known properties like Blenheim Palace, Harewood House, Hever Castle, Raby Castle and Sandringham House.
In a previous article, I’ve given my choices of Top Ten Historic Houses in England with nearly all being such large, well known properties.
However, I’ve visited many less well known properties, some of which are quite small and hidden away and may only be open for a few days a year. This is my first list of what I call Unusual Historic Houses.
Although these unusual Historic Houses would not individually provide enough material for a full article on this website, they are nevertheless well worth visiting and the brief details provided below will help you decide which you may wish to visit.
The selected Unusual Historic Houses are very much my personal choices, with input from my wife who is particularly interested in the gardens. The six properties are all within the Historic Houses free-to-visit list – see below for more details.
Allerton Castle – Entirely Renovated and Refurnished
The Allerton estate ten miles east of Harrogate dates back to Norman times, however the current Tudor-Gothic style Allerton Castle (not a genuine defensive castle of course) only dates back to the mid-19th Century.
At that time the house was owned by the Stourton family and this continued until it was sold in 1983 to an American businessman, Dr Gerald Rolph. The Stourtons had already sold off the entire contents of the Castle in 1965 and the buildings were in a bad state of disrepair.
Hence what visitors see within the Castle is almost entirely the result of Dr Rolph’s renovations and refurnishing. Fortunately these have been to a very high standard.
Highlights of our self-guided tour were the oak panelled Great Hall with gallery above, the ornate Drawing Room, with portraits of George II and Queen Caroline, and the Music Room which houses Dr Rolph’s collection of American automated music machines, including a Wurlitzer Automatic Harp.
There is a small, attractive garden by the house arranged around a central pool containing water lilies.
Allerton Castle is open to visitors on Tuesdays from March to October.
Bickleigh Castle – Riverside Castle with Thatched Norman Chapel
Bickleigh Castle is a curious mixture of buildings from various periods. It is situated on the banks of the River Exe four miles south of Tiverton.
Originally a medieval water castle, it was remodelled as a fortified manor house in the 15th Century.
The buildings were badly damaged during the Civil War, with restoration only taking place in the early 20th Century.
We took a self-guided tour of the Castle’s fascinating rooms with very helpful information sheets along the way.
The Great Hall is particularly impressive as are the various pieces of weaponry adorning the walls around the Castle.
A curious artifact in the Castle is a suit of armour worn by King Charles I, left at the Castle when his wife who was visiting had to leave the country.
The small garden by the Castle has lawns and shrubs and a moat. Across the road there is a lawn and flower beds and a remarkable Norman Chapel with a thatched roof.
After the Castle tour, we very much enjoyed a Devon cream tea served in the castle forecourt, where we were joined by the castle’s owner, Sarah.
Bickleigh Castle is open to visitors on Thursdays from April to October.
Browsholme Hall – Oldest Family Home in Lancashire
Hidden away in the heart of the Forest of Bowland is a fine Tudor house, Browsholme Hall, that claims to be the oldest surviving family home in Lancashire. It has been the home of the Parker family since 1507.
The one hour guided tour of the Hall commences in the Great Hall, a large beamed Tudor room with dark wooden furniture dating to the 1500s and 1600s.
The Library next door has Jacobite relics, including a silver pistol reputedly owned by Bonnie Prince Charlie.
The nearby Drawing Room and Dining Room are decorated with numerous portrait paintings, some ancient and some quite recent.
Two storeys up an oak staircase leads to the Yellow Bedroom, the Oak Parlour and the Velvet Bedroom.
The garden has several attractive features including the long terrace, a yew walk and a parterre.
From the garden we continued on a gentle one and half mile walk through the parkland by the lake, with great views over the Forest of Bowland countryside along the way.
Browsholme Hall is open to the public some Tuesdays and Wednesdays between May and October.
Eyam Hall – Gritstone Hall in Plague Village
The Derbyshire village of Eyam is known for its selfless approach to the 1666 plague, when it completely isolated itself so as not to spread the infection.
This is well explained in a museum in the village adding an extra dimension when visiting the Hall.
Eyam Hall itself dates from after this event, being built in 1672 by Thomas Wright and given as a wedding present for John and Elizabeth Wright. It has been owned by the Wright family ever since.
It is built from the local gritstone and hence blends well with its picturesque surroundings.
A tour of the Hall takes in eight rooms with an audio guide available as a mobile phone download. This gives detailed information about each room including furnishings and paintings.
We were particularly impressed with the Tapestry Room, the Library and the Dining Room.
The gardens by the house are on two levels with colourful herbaceous borders, a small conservatory and many fruit trees. There are attractive seating areas around the gardens including one around a small fountain.
The Courtyard by the house features several small craft shops plus a refreshment outlet.
Eyam Hall is open four days a week during, March, April and October plus some bank holidays.
Peover Hall – Elizabethan House with Second World War Useage
Peover Hall is an Elizabethan house in Cheshire dating back to 1585. It was built by Sir Randle Mainwaring as the family residence.
It is still a family home, but now owned by the Brooks family who had to restore the house after many years of neglect and with all the contents being sold off.
It was used during the second world war as US General Patton’s HQ and also as a POW facility.
Peover Hall is quite hidden away near the village of Over Peover and our sat-nav proved unhelpful. When we eventually arrived 15 minutes before our prebooked tour, the place was completely deserted.
This gave us a chance to see the attractive gardens, including the walled garden, before the other visitors and tour guides arrived.
The Hall tour took about an hour and included the Great Hall with an unusual wooden ceiling, the Oak Bedroom with original oak wall cladding, Patton’s room and, on the top floor, the Long Gallery with a strange trussed ceiling looking like an upside down boat.
The elegant Carolean stable block should not be missed and as also the nearby St Lawrence’s Church with a US flag presented by General Patton.
Peover Hall is open for pre-booked tours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, May to September.
Scawby Hall – Stubbs’ Horse Paintings
Scawby Hall is about six miles south-east of Scunthorpe in North Lincolnshire. It is a Jacobean manor house built by Richard Nelthorpe in 1605 and still occupied by the Nelthorpe family.
However the hall frontage and windows are 18th Century and some crenallations were added in the 19th Century.
The hall tour passes through several small interesting rooms on the ground and first floors. There are some fine pieces of furniture along the way, but for me the George Stubbs’ horse paintings were the highlight of the tour. The Nelthorpe family was one of the first patrons of Stubbs, who was born 300 years ago in 1724.
There is an attractive three acre walled garden by the house with orchards, vegetable beds and herbaceous borders.
Scawby Hall is open to visitors for about 30 days a year from May to September and pre-booking is required.
If you intend to visit more than a couple of the Historic Houses properties, then taking up annual membership may save you money. Individual membership is £68 a year, joint membership £108 a year, children (3-16 years) £30 a year. However if you enter code STEW05 you will get a £5 discount when you join via the Historic Houses website. This applies to new members and if you wish to give annual membership as a gift.
When planning a visit to one of these Unusual Historic Houses, please check opening times on the individual property’s website as they can vary at short notice due to special events.
We have reviewed many other properties under Historic Houses and see also Historic Houses versus National Trust – Which to join?
Unusual Historic Houses: Allerton, Bickleigh, Browsholme, Eyam, Peover, Scawby was posted 31st August 2024 by STEVE HANSON. The photographs were taken by BARBARA HANSON.