Pinchinthorpe

The Domesday Book records two manors in Pinchinthorpe.  The eastern half, centred on the modern Pinchinthorpe House (but not as far as the Pinchinthorpe Vistor Centre) and the western half comprising Pinchinthorpe Hall.

The photo shows almost the full extent of the western half. Bottom left, partially hidden by trees is Pinchinthorpe Hall. The farm on the right is High Farm. The two farms in the right distance are Spite Hall Farm and Low Farm, also part of the manor. It’s a long narrow manor, I am actually standing on the south-eastern tip.

The fields north of the A173 between the hall and High Farm contain lots of humps and bumps, the site of the medieval hamlet. The name itself, Pinchinthorpe, comes from the Norman family of ‘Pinchum‘, the 12th-century holders of the manor.

The most interesting building through is Pinchinthorpe Hall, a 17th-century house but which stands in moated grounds¹Historicengland.org.uk. (2012). Pinchinthorpe Hall moated site and post medieval gardens, Guisborough, Redcar and Cleveland (UA) – North York Moors (NP) | Historic England. [online] Available at: https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/heritage-at-risk/search-register/list-entry/31706 [Accessed 2 Feb. 2022].. The moated site and post medieval gardens are currently on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk register as “generally unsatisfactory with major localised problems”²Historicengland.org.uk. (2012). Pinchinthorpe Hall moated site and post medieval gardens, Guisborough – 1013215 | Historic England. [online] Available at: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1013215?section=official-listing [Accessed 2 Feb. 2022].. The risk seems to be from gardening. The hall itself has recently been reopened as a hospitality venue³Pinchinthorpe Hall. (2015). Pinchinthorpe Hall | Weddings | Restaurant | Events | Guisborough | North York Moors | Roseberry Topping. [online] Available at: https://www.pinchinthorpehall.com/ [Accessed 2 Feb. 2022]..

For over 400 years the manor was in the hands of the Catholic Lee family. The family seems to have avoided holding positions of public office and this may have been because of their recusancy.

Main source: Dixon, Grace. “Two Ancient Townships – Studies of Pinchinthorpe and Hutton Lowcross”. 1991. ISBN 0 9507827 2 6.

• 1
  Historicengland.org.uk. (2012). Pinchinthorpe Hall moated site and post medieval gardens, Guisborough, Redcar and Cleveland (UA) – North York Moors (NP) | Historic England. [online] Available at: https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/heritage-at-risk/search-register/list-entry/31706 [Accessed 2 Feb. 2022].
• 2
  Historicengland.org.uk. (2012). Pinchinthorpe Hall moated site and post medieval gardens, Guisborough – 1013215 | Historic England. [online] Available at: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1013215?section=official-listing [Accessed 2 Feb. 2022].
• 3
  Pinchinthorpe Hall. (2015). Pinchinthorpe Hall | Weddings | Restaurant | Events | Guisborough | North York Moors | Roseberry Topping. [online] Available at: https://www.pinchinthorpehall.com/ [Accessed 2 Feb. 2022].