The lesser known Yorkshire country houses that are only open a few times each year and how to visit them

Boynton Hall

The Grade I-listed house near Bridlington has been in the Strickland family since the 1500s and they remodelled it over subsequent centuries. Many of the Strickland baronets served as MPs for towns such as Hedon and Scarborough, but in 1938 the direct male line died out and in the 1950s they sold the Boynton estate.

In 1981 one of their descendants, Richard Marriott, managed to buy it back. A former City stockbroker who died last year, Mr Marriott’s uncle was the last Strickland to live at the hall before the sale. Although the house is rarely open to the public, in April the Marriotts hold an exclusive tour for Historic Houses Association members.

Tranby Croft

Tranby Croft, in Anlaby on the outskirts of Hull, was a symbol of the city’s Victorian might – built in the 1870s by shipping company owner Arthur Wilson. Despite their ‘trade’ origins, they entertained royalty and aristocracy at the hall, including Queen Victoria’s son, the future Edward VII, who would stay there while attending racing at Doncaster, and Winston Churchill.

Though the Wilsons ended their involvement with the business in 1916 and Arthur’s children moved elsewhere, they remained popular in the Hull area as benefactors. The house became Hull High School, later renamed Hull Collegiate, which has recently reverted to the name Tranby Croft. The school takes part in the Heritage Open Days Festival every September, when free tours are run.

Wassand Hall

Wassand overlooks Hornsea Mere, and was rebuilt in Regency style in 1815 from a decaying older house that had belonged to the Constable family, major landowners in the East Riding, since the early 1500s. It passed to the Strickland-Constables, and since 1995 a great-nephew of the last Strickland-Constable, Rupert Russell, has lived there.

There are a total of 28 open days each year where visitors can tour the house and gardens, and additional days when only the grounds are open.

Farnley Hall

This Grade I-listed 18th-century house near Otley is known for its connections to both plotter Guy Fawkes and painter JMW Turner. The Fawkes family were related to Guy and friends with Turner, who stayed there regularly in the early 19th century and painted the house. It is still in the hands of the Horton-Fawkes family today after a period as a maternity hospital during World War Two. Private group tours of the house are available by arrangement.

Cantley Hall

The Georgian hall near Doncaster was owned by the Childers family, who in the 19th century were known for their links to racehorse breeding. In 1904, it became part of the Fitzwilliam Estate when the seventh Earl Fitzwilliam of Wentworth Woodhouse bought it and the Black Carr Plantation, originally a shooting estate. The Fitzwilliams sold up after World War Two, and the house’s later owners were brewer Thomas Darley and car magnate John Carnell. Since the 1990s, DFS furniture entrepreneur Graham Kirkham has owned Cantley Hall, and every year the grounds are open as part of the National Gardens Scheme, with refreshments served in the house.

Tickhill Castle

One of Yorkshire’s most unique homes, Tickhill, near Doncaster, is a ruined 11th-century castle with a 17th-century manor house at its centre. There’s a gatehouse and curtain wall over the moat, and a motte that dates from soon after the Norman Conquest. It was besieged during the Civil War, and the Crown have kept ownership over the centuries – it’s now part of the monarch’s Duchy of Lancaster estate. They rent out the house, and as part of the lease agreement, the tenants have to open the castle to the public once a year – usually in June. The open day attracts large crowds.

Aske Hall

Aske, near Richmond, is the home of the Dundas family, and the Marquis of Zetland is a major landowner in the area. The Grade I-listed hall is only open once a year, for a series of guided tours as part of the Heritage Open Days Festival in September.

Constable Burton Hall

The Wyvill family’s Grade I-listed Palladian house near Leyburn is open for a restricted number of tours, led by the family, through prior arrangement. There’s also a Tulip Festival in the spring, where the public can visit the gardens.

Goldsborough Hall

Now a B&B, the former home of Princess Mary, aunt to the late Queen Elizabeth II, near Knaresborough, also holds tours for non-residents. There’s a guided tour approximately once a month in 2023.

Birdsall House

The seat of the Barons Middleton in the Yorkshire Wolds is still the home of the Willoughby family, whose ancestors have been there since the 1500s. In 2023 there are three guided tours running on dates in the spring and summer, led by the family.

Clifton Castle

This late Georgian house on the banks of the River Ure in Wensleydale was built on the site of a castle owned by powerful landowners the Scropes. Since 1970 it has been the family home of the Marquesses of Downshire, the Hill family, who still have a large estate in the area. There are two confirmed opening dates in the summer of 2023 for pre-booked tours.

Carlton Towers

Carlton is one of Yorkshire’s major country houses, located near Selby and belonging to the Dukes of Norfolk. The current Duke’s brother lives there, and there is a tour once a month in 2023, with cream tea included. It is Grade I-listed and Victorian Gothic in style.

Arden Hall

The Earls of Mexborough bought the house near Hawnby in Ryedale in the late 19th century, and in 1958 their main seat, Methley Hall near Leeds, was demolished. The Savile family still live at Arden and open its two acres of walled gardens once a year for the National Gardens Scheme.

Hovingham Hall

This impressive house near York is the home of the Worsley baronets, who have been closely linked with royalty for centuries. The current Duchess of Kent, married to a grandson of King George V, is a Worsley by birth and grew up at Hovingham. The estate is still a major landowner. There is one open day in 2023, in May, with tours

bookable through Historic Houses.

Markenfield Hall

This 14th-century moated manor house with Tudor gatehouse near Ripon is an incredible survivor and was home to the Norton family, Barons Grantley. The seventh Lord Grantley’s widow currently lives there, and there are several annual open days in May and June.

Mulgrave Castle

The Mulgrave estate near Whitby is home to the Marquis of Normanby, a major landower on the coast. The gardens are open for charity on five selected dates in summer 2023.