Allerton Castle
Encyclopedia
Allerton Castle, formerly "Allerton Park" is a Grade I listed nineteenth century Gothic
or Victorian Gothic house at Allerton Mauleverer
in North Yorkshire
, England
. It was rebuilt by George Martin
in 1843-1853.
It is located ten miles (16 km) east of Harrogate
and just east of the A1, at its junction with the A59
York
-Knaresborough
road.
Outside is the pleasant St Martin's Church
.
Arundell rebuilt the house in the 1740s and in 1745 remodelled the church in Norman revival
style. The mid-18th century interior of the church remains unaltered to this day.
, whose son sold it in 1786 to Prince Frederick, Duke of York
, second son of George III and brother of George IV
.
Prince Frederick rebuilt the house to designs by Henry Holland
, but sold the estate shortly afterwards in 1789.
He also constructed the Temple of Victory
which is today visible from the A1 on a 200 feet (61 m) high hill. According to local legend, the ant-like activity of workers constantly ascending and descending to build this gigantic mound, inspired the famous nursery rhyme concerning the Grand Old Duke of York and his 10,000 men.
, the premier baron in England. The Hon Edward Stourton
's family owned the house 1805-1983 (the Lords Mowbray
). The contents were sold in 1965.
It then became "Stourton House"", and the Catholic peer added a chapel in Gothic
style. However, in 1843 his son demolished the Georgian
house and engaged George Martin, to build the present house in a Tudor-Gothic style. In 1856 work came to a halt as there was not enough money to complete all the interiors.
The house was used by the Canadian Royal Air Force during World War II and in 1965. The family ceased to live there after the death of the 22nd Baron Stourton.
The estate is now run by the Gerald Arthur Rolph Foundation for Historic Preservation and Education
http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/registeredcharities/showcharity.asp?chyno=517743 and rooms are available to hire for corporate events and weddings.
A severe fire in January 2005 caused substantial damage to the Gothic Wing and the Servants Wing. Restoration work to the Gothic Wing which included the main dining room, library, rear entrance hall, one of the bedrooms and adjoining dressing room and bathroom commenced in the spring of 2006. The restoration work by specialist contractors consisted of substantial repairs to the ornate stonework and windows, the installation of new floors at, first second and attic levels, significant steelwork and a new roof structure to match existing. Electrical, plumbing and heating installations as well as plasterwork were also renewed.
is 80 feet (24 m) high. It now stands in 6 acres (24,000 m²) grounds, and has a 40,000 square foot (3,700 m²) ground area.
The Great Hall provides a stunning entrance. One of the highest Baronial Halls in England, almost 80 feet (24.4 m) high, adorned by intricately carved oak panelling lit by stained glass windows and with galleried landings whose walls are hung with portraits. The Hall is central and gives access to the elegant Drawing Room, blue and white Ballroom, the Library with bookcases based on the original designs, and restored in the on site workshop. Most of the original bookcases, together with the books, were destroyed in the fire.
A short drive leads past a late-18th century stable-block before the visitor is confronted with the Tudor-Gothic Victorian building. The main block is built of dark coloured stone, with a high tower rising above the entrance porch. The lower brick range to the right houses the Chapel of 1805 and behind are the lower buildings of the service courtyard, dating from the 18th century.
The interior of Allerton was designed on a vast scale, with late-Gothic decoration in the style of Pugin
's work on the Palace of Westminster
. The early-Victorian craftsmanship and the recent restoration work are of the highest quality.
The galleried Great Hall is almost 80 ft (24.4 m) high and one of the highest baronial halls in England. This room is lit from a huge lantern which rises from the centre of the main block. On the walls are full-length portraits including works by Michael Dahl and William Dobson. The principal staircase opens off the Great Hall, under another vaulted ceiling hung with portraits of the Mowbray and Stourton families.
The Drawing Room has a magnificent plaster ceiling. On the walls are portraits by Michael Dahl and Charles Jervas and vast Rococo mirrors, made for Meton Constable in Norfolk.
The Ballroom, in the west of the house, was left with bare masonry by Lord Mowbray and Stourton, but Dr Rolph has decorated it with a plaster vaulted ceiling.
The Library and Dining Room occupy the north side of the Hall. The Library has restored bookcases, as the originals were badly damaged in the fire. The wallpaper was based on one of Pugin's designs for the Houses of Parliament and the ceiling has recently been repainted in the original colours. The Dining Room is panelled and has stained glass windows with the arms of the Mowbray and Stourton families. On the huge table, original to the house, are candelabra dating from 1848.
On the entrance-side of the house are the Billiard Room, the Music Room ( houses a collection of late-19th and early-20th century automatic musical instruments) and the Morning Room.
A large garage in the service courtyard houses a collection of luxury veteran and vintage cars.
The huge Kitchen Garden is set to one side, surrounded by tall red brick walls. On a knoll to the west of the house is the 'Temple of Victory', a fine octagonal building of Palladian design
, the house has also been shot in the 2008 film 1920
, directed by Indian director Vikram Bhatt
and the ITV television series Lost in Austen (2008)
as Rosings Park.
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
or Victorian Gothic house at Allerton Mauleverer
Allerton Mauleverer
Allerton Mauleverer is a village in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is part of the Allerton Mauleverer with Hopperton parish....
in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It was rebuilt by George Martin
George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin CBE is an English record producer, arranger, composer and musician. He is sometimes referred to as "the Fifth Beatle"— a title that he often describes as "nonsense," but the fact remains that he served as producer on all but one of The Beatles' original albums...
in 1843-1853.
It is located ten miles (16 km) east of Harrogate
Harrogate
Harrogate is a spa town in North Yorkshire, England. The town is a tourist destination and its visitor attractions include its spa waters, RHS Harlow Carr gardens, and Betty's Tea Rooms. From the town one can explore the nearby Yorkshire Dales national park. Harrogate originated in the 17th...
and just east of the A1, at its junction with the A59
A59 road
The A59 is a major road in the United Kingdom that runs from Liverpool in Merseyside, to York in North Yorkshire.-Merseyside:The A59 begins in the centre of Liverpool at the mouth of the Birkenhead Tunnel, and heads north out of the city, first as Scotland Road in Vauxhall, then Kirkdale Road,...
York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
-Knaresborough
Knaresborough
Knaresborough is an old and historic market town, spa town and civil parish in the Borough of Harrogate, North Yorkshire, England, located on the River Nidd, four miles east of the centre of Harrogate.-History:...
road.
Outside is the pleasant St Martin's Church
St Martin's Church, Allerton Mauleverer
St Martin's Church, Allerton Mauleverer, is a redundant Anglican church in the village of Allerton Mauleverer, North Yorkshire, England . It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building, and is under the care of the Churches Conservation Trust...
.
pre-1786
The Allerton estate belonged to the Mauleverer family from the time of the Norman Conquest. The nearby church of St Martin contains several tomb-monuments to them. When Richard Mauleverer died heirless in 1692, Allerton passed to his wife, who left the estate to Richard Arundell, her son by her second marriage.Arundell rebuilt the house in the 1740s and in 1745 remodelled the church in Norman revival
Romanesque Revival architecture
Romanesque Revival is a style of building employed beginning in the mid 19th century inspired by the 11th and 12th century Romanesque architecture...
style. The mid-18th century interior of the church remains unaltered to this day.
The "Grand Old Duke of York"
Following Arundell's death in 1758, Allerton passed to Viscount GalwayViscount Galway
Viscount Galway is a title that has been created once in the Peerage of England and thrice in the Peerage of Ireland. The first creation came in the Peerage of England in 1628 in favour of Richard Burke, 4th Earl of Clanricarde. He was made Earl of St Albans at the same time...
, whose son sold it in 1786 to Prince Frederick, Duke of York
Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany
The Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany was a member of the Hanoverian and British Royal Family, the second eldest child, and second son, of King George III...
, second son of George III and brother of George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
.
Prince Frederick rebuilt the house to designs by Henry Holland
Henry Holland
Henry Holland may refer to:* Henry Holland, 3rd Duke of Exeter , Lancastrian leader during the Wars of the Roses* Henry Holland , English writer on witchcraft...
, but sold the estate shortly afterwards in 1789.
He also constructed the Temple of Victory
Temple of Victory
The Temple of Victory is a temple on the Palatine Hill in Rome. It is traditionally ascribed to Evander, but was actually built by Lucius Postumius Megellus out of fines he levied during his aedileship and dedicated by him on 1st August when consul in 294 B.C...
which is today visible from the A1 on a 200 feet (61 m) high hill. According to local legend, the ant-like activity of workers constantly ascending and descending to build this gigantic mound, inspired the famous nursery rhyme concerning the Grand Old Duke of York and his 10,000 men.
1805-1983
The estate changed hands again in 1805 when purchased by the 17th Baron StourtonBaron Stourton
Baron Stourton is a title in the Peerage of England, It was created created by writ in 1448 for John Stourton. In 1878, the ancient barony of Mowbray was called out of abeyance in favour of the twentieth Baron Stourton. About two weeks later, the barony of Segrave was also called out of abeyance in...
, the premier baron in England. The Hon Edward Stourton
Edward Stourton, 27th Baron Mowbray
Edward William Stephen Stourton, 24th Baron Stourton, 28th Baron Segrave, 27th Baron Mowbray is a British peer.The son of the 26th Baron Mowbray and Hon. Jane Faith de Yarburgh-Bateson, daughter of the 5th Baron Deramore, he succeeded to his father's titles on 12 December 2006.On 12 July 1980, he...
's family owned the house 1805-1983 (the Lords Mowbray
Baron Mowbray
Baron Mowbray is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created by writ for Roger de Mowbray in 1283. It was held for a long time by the Mowbray and Howard Dukes of Norfolk. The title was united with the Barony of Segrave in 1368, when John Mowbray, 1st Earl of Nottingham and 5th Baron Mowbray...
). The contents were sold in 1965.
It then became "Stourton House"", and the Catholic peer added a chapel in Gothic
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
style. However, in 1843 his son demolished the Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
house and engaged George Martin, to build the present house in a Tudor-Gothic style. In 1856 work came to a halt as there was not enough money to complete all the interiors.
The house was used by the Canadian Royal Air Force during World War II and in 1965. The family ceased to live there after the death of the 22nd Baron Stourton.
1983-present
In 1983 the house was bought by Dr Gerald Rolph, an American businessman. He purchased the house and part of the park and set about renovating the building to the highest standards, filling the house with furniture and pictures of appropriate scale and splendour.The estate is now run by the Gerald Arthur Rolph Foundation for Historic Preservation and Education
http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/registeredcharities/showcharity.asp?chyno=517743 and rooms are available to hire for corporate events and weddings.
A severe fire in January 2005 caused substantial damage to the Gothic Wing and the Servants Wing. Restoration work to the Gothic Wing which included the main dining room, library, rear entrance hall, one of the bedrooms and adjoining dressing room and bathroom commenced in the spring of 2006. The restoration work by specialist contractors consisted of substantial repairs to the ornate stonework and windows, the installation of new floors at, first second and attic levels, significant steelwork and a new roof structure to match existing. Electrical, plumbing and heating installations as well as plasterwork were also renewed.
Castle layout
Allerton Castle has 7 principal reception rooms, 45 principal bedrooms, 18 bathrooms, and a chapel. The great hallGreat hall
A great hall is the main room of a royal palace, nobleman's castle or a large manor house in the Middle Ages, and in the country houses of the 16th and early 17th centuries. At that time the word great simply meant big, and had not acquired its modern connotations of excellence...
is 80 feet (24 m) high. It now stands in 6 acres (24,000 m²) grounds, and has a 40,000 square foot (3,700 m²) ground area.
The Great Hall provides a stunning entrance. One of the highest Baronial Halls in England, almost 80 feet (24.4 m) high, adorned by intricately carved oak panelling lit by stained glass windows and with galleried landings whose walls are hung with portraits. The Hall is central and gives access to the elegant Drawing Room, blue and white Ballroom, the Library with bookcases based on the original designs, and restored in the on site workshop. Most of the original bookcases, together with the books, were destroyed in the fire.
A short drive leads past a late-18th century stable-block before the visitor is confronted with the Tudor-Gothic Victorian building. The main block is built of dark coloured stone, with a high tower rising above the entrance porch. The lower brick range to the right houses the Chapel of 1805 and behind are the lower buildings of the service courtyard, dating from the 18th century.
The interior of Allerton was designed on a vast scale, with late-Gothic decoration in the style of Pugin
Pugin
Pugin most commonly refers to Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin , English architect and designer.Other members of his family include:...
's work on the Palace of Westminster
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
. The early-Victorian craftsmanship and the recent restoration work are of the highest quality.
The galleried Great Hall is almost 80 ft (24.4 m) high and one of the highest baronial halls in England. This room is lit from a huge lantern which rises from the centre of the main block. On the walls are full-length portraits including works by Michael Dahl and William Dobson. The principal staircase opens off the Great Hall, under another vaulted ceiling hung with portraits of the Mowbray and Stourton families.
The Drawing Room has a magnificent plaster ceiling. On the walls are portraits by Michael Dahl and Charles Jervas and vast Rococo mirrors, made for Meton Constable in Norfolk.
The Ballroom, in the west of the house, was left with bare masonry by Lord Mowbray and Stourton, but Dr Rolph has decorated it with a plaster vaulted ceiling.
The Library and Dining Room occupy the north side of the Hall. The Library has restored bookcases, as the originals were badly damaged in the fire. The wallpaper was based on one of Pugin's designs for the Houses of Parliament and the ceiling has recently been repainted in the original colours. The Dining Room is panelled and has stained glass windows with the arms of the Mowbray and Stourton families. On the huge table, original to the house, are candelabra dating from 1848.
On the entrance-side of the house are the Billiard Room, the Music Room ( houses a collection of late-19th and early-20th century automatic musical instruments) and the Morning Room.
A large garage in the service courtyard houses a collection of luxury veteran and vintage cars.
The huge Kitchen Garden is set to one side, surrounded by tall red brick walls. On a knoll to the west of the house is the 'Temple of Victory', a fine octagonal building of Palladian design
Misc
The house was the site for several exterior shots of the film The Secret Garden (1993)The Secret Garden (1993 film)
The Secret Garden is a 1993 British drama film based on Frances Hodgson Burnett's 1911 novel of the same name. The film was directed by Agnieszka Holland.-Plot:...
, the house has also been shot in the 2008 film 1920
1920 (film)
1920 is a 2008 Indian horror film written and directed by Vikram Bhatt. Filmed in Hindi, the film revolves around the events surrounding a married couple living in a haunted house in the year 1920. The film stars debutant actors Rajneesh Duggal and Adah Sharma as the married couple...
, directed by Indian director Vikram Bhatt
Vikram Bhatt
Vikram Bhatt is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter. He has more than 21 films to his credit. He is also the creative head of a conglomerate called ASA Productions.-Early life:...
and the ITV television series Lost in Austen (2008)
Lost in Austen
Lost in Austen is a four-part 2008 British television series for the ITV network, written by Guy Andrews as a fantasy adaptation of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen...
as Rosings Park.