Risebourgh Hall Thornton Le Dales.

A Memory of Pickering.

Risebourgh Hall was once a magnificent house and home about 3 miles from Thornton Le Dale and four miles from Pickering North Yorkshire. It stands on Risebourgh Hill and commands sweeping views across Ryedale from its imposing position.
The Hall was a beautiful old stone building, part of which dates back to the 16th century.
In its hey day Risebourgh Hall would have been the pinicle of elegance and grandeur, drapes would hang at the ornate windows, log fires would fill the hearth during the winter and at Christmas. The stairs swept up from the large grand hall and both hall and stairs had ornate wood paneling .
Balls and party's would be held there. Ladies and gentlemen would be driven by horse and carriage through the wrought iron tall gates set in the stone wall that surrounded the property.
A modern conservatory was added as times changed, ferns and tropical plants would adorn this new addition to the Hall.
A stable and carriage block was built at the rear of the Hall.Coach men Gardeners housekeeper maids and nursery maids would be employed by the 'Lord & Lady' of the Hall.

By the end of the 1800s a Mr & Mrs Harrison owned and lived at Risebourgh Hall.

In the grounds of Risebourgh Hall was a picturesque cottage and it is here where my husbands Great grand Parents lived. George and Eliza Fletcher with their children.
George was coachman and Eliza was maid / Housekeeper. Their daughter Mary also worked there as Nursery maid to the Harrison children. (We have a photo of Mary in her uniform in a bedroom of the Hall.)

Percy Gloyne from Wakefield spent time with the Fletchers when he did some plumbing work at the Hall. He fell in love with Mary and they later married and went to live in Wakefield where their daughter Agnes was both. (Agnes was my husbands Mother.)
Percy was killed two days before the end of WW1.

After the Harrisons left Risebourgh Hall in the late 1940s a Mr& Mrs Tweedy lived there.
Mrs Tweedy was very essentric, wearing long skirts and coats with wellington boots.

On the morning of Wednesday 15th October 1952 Risebourgh Hall was on fire; the firemen from Helmsley, Malton, Kirbymoorside and Pickering fought the flames throughout the day, but we're unable to save more than two rooms in the Nothing In North Wing.

Floors and paneling had helped the blaze to get well under way before the firemen arrived and nothing could be done to prevent the roofs of the main part of the house falling in..
Little more than a shell of the building remained.
A quantity of antique furniture and old China was saved but a large amount of clothing, linen and furnishings was destroyed.
Rumour had it that the Tweedys set fire to their home to claim on their insurance. But perhaps we will never know.
The Hall was looted by locals as it stood empty, wood paneling was taken from part of the stairway and built into local cottages.
Risebourgh Hall stood burnt out and derelict for many years.

By Margaret Hill
E mail garfootmargaret23@gmail.com