Newby Hall is an historic mansion house and Grade I listed building situated on the banks of the River Ure

River Ure

The River Ure is a river in North Yorkshire, England, approximately long from its source to the point where it changes name to the River Ouse. It is the principal river of Wensleydale, which is the only one of the Dales now named after a village rather than its river...

 at Skelton-on-Ure

Skelton-on-Ure

Skelton-on-Ure or Skelton is a village and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated about 1 mile west of Boroughbridge, near the A1 road motorway....

, near Boroughbridge

Boroughbridge

Boroughbridge is a small town and civil parish in the Harrogate district of North Yorkshire, England. It is situated northwest of York. Until its bypass was built, it was on the main A1 road from London to Edinburgh...

 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...

.

History

The manor of Newby was sold by the Crossland family to Sir Edward Blackett MP

Sir Edward Blackett, 2nd Baronet

Sir Edward Blackett, 2nd Baronet was a baronet and a member of the British House of Commons representing Ripon and Northumberland.Blackett was the eldest surviving son of William Blackett and his wife Elizabeth Kirkley...

 in the 1690s. He demolished the old manor house and in 1697 built a spacious mansion designed with the assistance of Sir Christopher Wren.

The estate was acquired by William Weddell MP in 1748 and the house was improved and enlarged during the 1760s. The interior was remodelled and several architects contributed, including Robert Adam

Robert Adam

Robert Adam was a Scottish neoclassical architect, interior designer and furniture designer. He was the son of William Adam , Scotland's foremost architect of the time, and trained under him...

.

In 1973, a miniature railway was constructed; it was enlarged in 1985. Running along the bank of the river, the train is pulled by a Battison-built 1/5 scale model of the Royal Scot

LMS Royal Scot Class 6100 Royal Scot

London Midland and Scottish Railway Royal Scot Class 6100 Royal Scot is a preserved British steam locomotive.- History :...

 (6100) on Sundays and Bank Holidays. At other times the train is pulled by the Countess De Grey or Lady Mary Vyner, LPG-powered Diesel-Hydraulic locomotives designed by David Curwen and built by Severn Lamb

Severn Lamb

Severn Lamb, sometimes known as Severn-Lamb, are a manufacturers of various forms of transport systems and equipment, principally aimed at the leisure market. They are based at Alcester in the English county of Warwickshire, but sell their products world-wide.The company was founded by Peter Severn...

.

In 1979, the newly-constructed adventure playground was opened by Sir Jackie Stewart. A 2007 TV adaptation of Jane Austen

Jane Austen

Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics.Austen lived...

's Mansfield Park

Mansfield Park (2007 TV drama)

Mansfield Park, an adaptation of the classic Jane Austen novel of the same name, premiered on 18 March 2007 on the UK network ITV at 9 p.m., as part of their Jane Austen Season. It was filmed at Newby Hall, North Yorkshire, England. It made its TV debut in Canada on 23 December 2007 and in the...

was filmed at the Hall.

The present owners, the Compton family, descended from William Weddell, have restored the property and the Hall and gardens are open to the public. The River Ure

River Ure

The River Ure is a river in North Yorkshire, England, approximately long from its source to the point where it changes name to the River Ouse. It is the principal river of Wensleydale, which is the only one of the Dales now named after a village rather than its river...

 runs along the south side of the grounds of Newby Hall. It has magnificent herbaceous border

Herbaceous border

A herbaceous border is a collection of perennial herbaceous plants arranged closely together, usually to create a dramatic effect through colour, shape or large scale. The term herbaceous border is mostly in use in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth...

s and extensive woodland walks, as well as the usual collections of furniture, painting and precious artefacts within the house. The Georgian stable block (also Grade I listed ) is leased as offices.

Newby Hall is open to the public from 21 March until 1 October.

External links

• Stately Homes
• Newby Hall
• The Blacketts of North East England
• Robin Compton - Daily Telegraph obituary
• Newby Hall Cricket Club