Cholmley House
Encyclopedia
Cholmley House or Whitby Hall is a banqueting house
sited next to the ruins of Whitby Abbey
in North Yorkshire
. It was built in 1672 for £232,000 by Sir Hugh Cholmeley
, whose family had acquired the Abbey ruins and the land around them after its dissolution
in 1539 - from then until 1672, the family had lived in what had been the Abbey's gatehouse and guest lodgings. It was originally built as a square, with a square courtyard in front of it, known as the Stone Garden - this contains a replica of the Borghese Gladiator
, another replica of which was owned by the builder of the house.
In 1743 the family succeeded to the Wentworth estates and moved its main base to Howsham Hall
, leaving Cholmley House deserted. The north front lost its roof in a storm in 1790, leading to the demolition of the north front. Only the main hall remained and even this fell into decay before coming into the possession of the Strickland family, who fitted bracing arches in 1866 to secure its walls. These arches were replaced after the Ministry of Works took over the house and abbey ruins in 1936, before it was transferred to the Ministry's successor English Heritage
in 1984. The house was reopened on 30 March 2002 by David Hope
, then Archbishop of York
, as the museum, shop and visitor reception for the Abbey site, a role it still occupies.
Banqueting House
In Tudor and Early Stuart English architecture a banqueting house is a separate building reached through pleasure gardens from the main residence, whose use is purely for entertaining. It may be raised for additional air or a vista, and it may be richly decorated, but it contains no bedrooms or...
sited next to the ruins of Whitby Abbey
Whitby Abbey
Whitby Abbey is a ruined Benedictine abbey overlooking the North Sea on the East Cliff above Whitby in North Yorkshire, England. It was disestablished during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under the auspices of Henry VIII...
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...
. It was built in 1672 for £232,000 by Sir Hugh Cholmeley
Sir Hugh Cholmeley, 4th Baronet
Sir Hugh Cholmeley, 4th Baronet was an English politician and baronet.Born at Fyling Hall, near Whitby in Yorkshire, he was the second son of Sir Hugh Cholmeley, 1st Baronet and his wife Elizabeth Twysden, daughter of Sir William Twysden, 1st Baronet. Cholmeley succeeded his nephew as baronet in...
, whose family had acquired the Abbey ruins and the land around them after its dissolution
Dissolution of the Monasteries
The Dissolution of the Monasteries, sometimes referred to as the Suppression of the Monasteries, was the set of administrative and legal processes between 1536 and 1541 by which Henry VIII disbanded monasteries, priories, convents and friaries in England, Wales and Ireland; appropriated their...
in 1539 - from then until 1672, the family had lived in what had been the Abbey's gatehouse and guest lodgings. It was originally built as a square, with a square courtyard in front of it, known as the Stone Garden - this contains a replica of the Borghese Gladiator
Borghese Gladiator
The Borghese Gladiator is a Hellenistic lifesize marble sculpture actually portraying a swordsman, created at Ephesus about 100 BCE. It is signed on the pedestal by Agasias, son of Dositheus, who is otherwise unknown.-Rediscovery:...
, another replica of which was owned by the builder of the house.
In 1743 the family succeeded to the Wentworth estates and moved its main base to Howsham Hall
Howsham Hall
Howsham Hall is a stately home in Howsham, North Yorkshire, England, built in the early 17th century. The hall is now a grade I listed building....
, leaving Cholmley House deserted. The north front lost its roof in a storm in 1790, leading to the demolition of the north front. Only the main hall remained and even this fell into decay before coming into the possession of the Strickland family, who fitted bracing arches in 1866 to secure its walls. These arches were replaced after the Ministry of Works took over the house and abbey ruins in 1936, before it was transferred to the Ministry's successor English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
in 1984. The house was reopened on 30 March 2002 by David Hope
David Hope, Baron Hope of Thornes
David Michael Hope, Baron Hope of Thornes KCVO PC was the Archbishop of York in the Church of England from 1995 to 2005.-Early career:...
, then Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
, as the museum, shop and visitor reception for the Abbey site, a role it still occupies.
Sources
- George Young, A picture of Whitby and its environs, 1824
- http://www.timetravel-britain.com/guides/yorkshire/whitby.shtml