Nunnington Hall, or at least the site of the present hall, has been around a long time. Since the 13th century, in fact. The present hall dates from the 16th and 17th centuries, with the most significant alterations having been carried out during the 17th century and again in the 1920s.

Architecturally, the Hall has a distinct Elizabethan appearance, and much of it dates from this, and the Stuart, period.

Nunnington Hall has had some interesting and scandalous tenants during its lifetime, including Elizabeth I's doctor, Robert Huicke, and Viscount Preston, who plotted to return the exiled James II to the English throne.

Other noteable owners were the Grene family, whose daughter, Matilda (Maud), married Sir Thomas Parr in 1499. Their youngest daughter, Catherine, became Henry VIII's sixth wife in 1543, and thanks to his sister's royal marriage, their son William was created Earl of Essex and Marquess of Northampton. He was later implicated in the failed attempt to elevate Lady Jane Grey to the throne, and subsequently forfeited his titles and properties to the crown.

Later, Nunnington Hall was owned by Thomas Norcliffe, who had connections by marriage to Thomas Fairfax - the man responsible for laying siege to Helmsley Castle.  During this time, parliamentary troops were stationed at Nunnington and did a lot of damage to the Hall.  Norcliffe subsequently sold the estate, in 1655, to Ranald Graham, a merchant from Lewisham.

Nunnington remained in the possession of various members of the Graham family until 1839, when the estate was again sold, this time to William Ruston, son of a Liverpool merchant.

During the early twentieth century, the estate was inherited by a great-niece of Ruston, and it was she and her husband, Ronald D'Arcy Fife, who were responsible for the alterations to the property in the 1920s.  Much of the house appears as it would have done in her day.

On entering the hall, a somewhat gruesome sight greets the visitor.  Colonel Fife was, as many gentlemen of the time were, a big game hunter in Africa and India.  Many of his "trophies" adorn the walls of the Stone Hall.

Much of the hall is decorated and furnished as it would have been during Colonel Fife's time.  The exception is the dining room, which has been set up here as the house's own dining area is in a part which is not open to the public.

The upstairs part of Nunnington Hall contains some beautiful furniture, and Mrs Fife's dressing room contains a particularly attractive miniature bureau.

The top floor of the hall was once the servants' quarters.  One room still depicts the accommodation given to visiting ladies' maids, but the remainder of the attic is given over to exhibitions, and the Carlisle collection.

An absolute must for anyone who likes miniatures, the Carlisle collection is a gorgeous exhibit of around twenty miniature room scenes.  Ranging from a grand Regency hallway to the carpenter's shop, these are most definitely NOT dolls house rooms, but carefully crafted scale models.

The gardens at Nunnington Hall are completely organic, and have been so since 2002.  They retain the character of a 17th century walled garden, one of the few surviving examples as most were removed in the 18th century when the preference was for open, landscaped gardens. 

Containing more than 50 species of clematis, mixed shrub and herbaceous borders,  and an orchard area which is left natural as a wildflower meadow.

Ryedale was once a large apple producing area, and when Nunnington was connected to the rail network, special "apple trains" left from here to take the crop to Leeds.

Today, many varieties are grown in the orchard, including "Yorkshire Cockpit", a cooking apple which dates from 1831, and "Yorkshire Beauty", also a cooking apple which was first recorded in Keswick in the late 18th century.

For more information, contact details, and up-to-date admission prices and opening times, see the National Trust's webpage.  Helpful guidebooks on both the house and garden are on sale at reception.  For snacks and meals, there is a tea-room on site.

Getting there:  Nunnington village can be reached by bus from Helmsley, via Hutchinson's 195 service (3 services per day [not Sundays], Nunnington is a request stop, you need to call 01347 821853 at least 2 hours before departure).  Connections can be made in Hovingham to service 195 from Stephenson's 194 service from Malton.  For timetables, visit yorkshiretravel.net.  During the summer school holidays, the Moorsbus service has daily runs which drop off at the Hall gates.