Thirkleby Hall was a large 18th-century country house in

Great Thirkleby Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements * Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size * Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent People * List of people known as "the Great" *Artel Great (born ...

in the Hambleton hills 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 ...

. It was demolished in 1927.

History

The manor of Thirkleby was acquired in 1576 by William Frankland, a wealthy London merchant. It passed down in the Frankland family to William Frankland, who was made a baronet in 1660. It afterwards descended through the

Frankland Baronets The Frankland Baronetcy, of Thirkelby (or Thirkleby) in the County of York, is a title in the Baronetage of England, created on 24 December 1660 for William Frankland. He later represented Thirsk in Parliament. His son, the second Baronet, als ...

Sir Thomas Frankland, 5th Baronet Admiral Sir Thomas Frankland, 5th Baronet (26 June 1718 – 21 November 1784) was a British naval officer, MP and slave trader. He was the second son of Henry Frankland and Mary Cross. Frankland was born in the East Indies (probably India), his f ...

in 1783 (after the death of the 4th Baronet's second wife), who was an Admiral of the White in the Royal Navy and MP for

Thirsk Thirsk is a market town and civil parish in the Hambleton district of North Yorkshire, England known for its racecourse; quirky yarnbomber displays, and depiction as local author James Herriot's fictional Darrowby. History Archeological fin ...

, but who died the following year. His son

Sir Thomas Frankland, 6th Baronet Sir Thomas Frankland, 6th Baronet (September 1750 – 4 January 1831) was an English country landowner of Thirkleby, Yorkshire and politician who sat in the House of Commons in two sessions between 1774 and 1801. He was an eminent botanist from w ...

commissioned

James Wyatt James Wyatt (3 August 1746 – 4 September 1813) was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the neoclassical and neo-Gothic styles. He was elected to the Royal Academy in 1785 and was its president from 1805 to 1806. Early life W ...

to build a new house, stables and triumphal arch in classical style; it was completed in 1790.Robinson, p. 175 The 6th Baronet's son, Sir Robert Frankland-Russell, 7th Baronet, had no son and following his death in 1849, the estate passed to his cousin's third daughter who had married

Sir William Payne-Gallwey, 2nd Baronet Sir William Payne-Gallwey, 2nd Baronet (1807 – 19 December 1881) was an English Conservative Party politician who sat in the House of Commons from 1851 to 1880. Payne-Gallwey was the son of Sir William Payne-Gallwey, 1st Baronet and his wife H ...

two years earlier.Robinson, p. 176 (The baronetcy passed to his cousin Frederick William Frankland). In 1881 the estate passed to Sir William's son, Sir Ralph Payne-Gallwey. When Ralph's son was killed in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Sir Ralph decided to sell the estate by auction. The house failed to sell and was demolished in 1927. The entry arch/gatehouse still stands and is in use. The stables building is also still present. A holiday caravan park has been built to the east of it.

References

*Robinson, John, ''Felling the Ancient Oaks'', Aurum Press, 2011, {{coord, 54.20646, N, 1.28101, W, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Country houses in North Yorkshire British country houses destroyed in the 20th century