The Pigsty is a

folly In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but suggesting through its appearance some other purpose, or of such extravagant appearance that it transcends the range of usual garden buildings. Eighteenth-cent ...

located next to

Fyling Hall School Fyling Hall is an independent, co-educational day and boarding school situated near the small village of Fylingthorpe, near Robin Hood's Bay, south east of Whitby, North Yorkshire, England. Founded in 1923 by Mab Bradley, the school was then r ...

, near

Robin Hood's Bay Robin Hood's Bay is a small fishing village and a bay located in the North York Moors National Park, south of Whitby and north of Scarborough on the coast of North Yorkshire, England. Bay Town, its local name, is in the ancient chapelry of ...

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. It is a Grade II*

listed Listed may refer to: * Listed, Bornholm, a fishing village on the Danish island of Bornholm * Listed (MMM program), a television show on MuchMoreMusic * Endangered species in biology * Listed building, in architecture, designation of a historicall ...

wooden building that was once a functioning home for pigs. It is now operated by the

Landmark Trust The Landmark Trust is a British architectural conservation, building conservation charitable organization, charity, founded in 1965 by John Smith (Conservative politician), Sir John and Lady Smith, that rescues buildings of historic interest or ...

as a holiday home. The date of the building is uncertain – it seemed to have been completed in 1891, but alterations may have been made as late as 1906. The folly was designed by the local

Squire In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a knight. Use of the term evolved over time. Initially, a squire served as a knight's apprentice. Later, a village leader or a lord of the manor might come to be known as a ...

and Justice of the Peace, John Warren Barry (1851–1920), who was attracted to Mediterranean buildings. His book "Studies in Corsica: Sylvan and Social", published in 1893, has recently been reissued in paperback. A 15 years old apprentice, Matthew Hart (30.1.1874-16.4.1970) was employed in the building of the sties. He reported that Squire Barry had no fixed idea as to their final appearance and frequently changed his mind during their construction. Mr Hart was so delighted when the squire finally approved the sties that he climbed on the roof and danced a jig, falling off and breaking his nose. The pigsty was only one of Squire Barry's creations. One was a cow byre in the shape of a church complete with oaken doors and stalls and stained glass windows. An employee recited rote verses from the bible as the cows were milked. The squire also had a chicken coop built in the shape of a pyramid. Unfortunately, he was unaware that pyramids had a solid inside and the capping stones soon collapsed, injuring a farm worker. By the mid 1980s the building was deteriorating badly and the owner, Mrs White, was concerned as to its future. The inside was full of detritus and the columns were all starting to collapse.The sties were opened for my personal inspection in 1980 by Mrs White. She stated that she had not been inside them for 15 years Pinned to a beam inside were sheets of paper documenting its history. Details about the sties were passed on to a researcher requesting information about unusual moorland buildings. The sties appeared shortly afterwards in a TV program fronted by Lucinda Lambton After renovation by the Landmark Trust the sties were reopened on 17 December 1991.

References

Information on The Pigsty at the Landmark Trust's website

External links

* http://www.coast-alive.eu/content/life-pigsty Buildings and structures in North Yorkshire Folly buildings in England Landmark Trust properties in England Neoclassical architecture in Yorkshire Grade II* listed buildings in North Yorkshire Grade II* listed agricultural buildings Pigs {{NorthYorkshire-struct-stub