Category: Ormesby
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The Enigma of Elizabeth Caroline Brown
I had a few minutes to kill before a meeting at Ormesby Hall, so I wandered over to the nearby church. There I found the elaborate grave of one Elizabeth Caroline Brown (1834–1905), set among the usual Victorian gravestones. On Church Lane, not far away, stood a stone cross, neglected and rather out of place.…
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The West Lodges of Ormesby Hall
A blistering day, not ideal for digging holes, yet that was the task—installing bollards to keep after-hours dog-walkers from turning the entrance grass verges of the National Trust’s Ormesby Hall into a car park. Still, it offered a good excuse to admire the West Lodge gates, which manage to look imposing even from the rear.…
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A Short History of the Ormesby Ironstone Mine and Its Surroundings
After many years, I finally returned to Flatts Lane Country Park and was astonished to find it looking clean and free of litter. This was undoubtedly the work of the Friends of Flatts Lane Country Park, who evidently have more patience than I do. The same could not be said for the approach via Flatts…
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Ormesby Hall Stables: John Carr’s Work—or Just a Good Imitation?
Working at the National Trust’s Ormesby Hall on a bitterly cold morning—what a treat. The cupola perched atop the old stables, apparently inspired by a Tuscan temple, caught my eye. Its bird-shaped weather vane glinted smugly in the morning sun, set against a postcard-perfect blue sky and a lingering half-moon. The “Carr” Stables, as they…
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Ormesby Hall—from family home to National Trust property
Perched proudly on the outskirts of a bustling housing estate, Ormesby Hall, a Palladian mansion, appears somewhat incongruous. Despite its seemingly out-of-place location, it maintains an air of refinement and is surrounded by parkland, a sharp contrast with its urban surroundings. In contrast to more opulent residences like Marton and Gunnergate Halls, erected with newfound…
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The Pennymans of Ormesby Hall
My volunteering with the National Trust has restarted again after the lockdown although the use of Trust vehicles for transport is not allowed due to Covid precautions. This means that trips to Bransdale and the Bridestones will have to wait until we have all been vaccinated. So north to help out in the construction of…