Grade II* listed
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
manor house
A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...
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 ...
, dating from 1720. The house has been held by the Bell family for years, and since 2021 also hosts a
sculpture park
A sculpture garden or sculpture park is an outdoor garden or park which includes the presentation of sculpture, usually several permanently sited works in durable materials in landscaped surroundings.
A sculpture garden may be private, owned by a ...
.
History
In 1722/23 the
member of parliament
A member of parliament (MP) is the representative in parliament of the people who live in their electoral district. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, this term refers only to members of the lower house since upper house members of ...
Ralph Bell
Ralph Albert "Lefty" Bell (November 16, 1890 – October 18, 1959) was a professional baseball pitcher from 1909 to 1916.10th Earl of Derby. At the time the hall was constructed it had two storeys and five bays. Bell lived in the then new-built home, Thirsk Hall, located on Kirkgate next to St Marys Church. Following his death in 1733 Bell left his estate to his nephew Ralph Consett, who then changed his surname to Bell. Some years later a descendent, also named Ralph Bell, married Ann Conyers. Conyers, who desired a dining room, financed an extension to the hall in 1770. The
Palladian
Palladian architecture is a European architectural style derived from the work of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio (1508–1580). What is today recognised as Palladian architecture evolved from his concepts of symmetry, perspective and ...
architect
John Carr John Carr may refer to:
Politicians
*John Carr (Indiana politician) (1793–1845), American politician from Indiana
*John Carr (Australian politician, born 1819) (1819–1913), member of the South Australian House of Assembly, 1865–1884
* John H ...
was employed to add a third floor and two wings. The house was furnished by Gillows, and the artist
Thomas Gainsborough
Thomas Gainsborough (14 May 1727 (baptised) – 2 August 1788) was an English portrait and landscape painter, draughtsman, and printmaker. Along with his rival Sir Joshua Reynolds, he is considered one of the most important British artists of ...
painted portraits of both Bell and Conyers. The ceiling of the ground floor room in the right wing, designed by Carr, has been described as "very fine". Thirsk Hall has 20 acres of grounds comprising gardens, parkland, and woodland.
As of 2022 the hall continues to be owned by the Bell family. Daisy Bell, eldest daughter of John Bell, inherited the property after being successful in a card game at aged 11, following her fathers eschewing of
primogeniture
Primogeniture ( ) is the right, by law or custom, of the firstborn legitimate child to inherit the parent's entire or main estate in preference to shared inheritance among all or some children, any illegitimate child or any collateral relativ ...
.
Sculpture Park
In the summer of 2021 the Thirsk Hall Sculpture Park, set in the grounds, was opened to the public. It has showcased the work of both up and coming and established artists, including Michael Lyons and
Zak Ové
Zak Ové (born 1966) is a British-Trinidad visual artist who works between sculpture, film and photography, living in London, UK, and Trinidad. His themes reflect "his documentation of and anthropological interest in diasporic and African history ...
. The park had 3,000 visitors in its first year. In 2023 the park featured the work of stone sculptor
Emily Young
Emily Young FRBS (born 1951) is a sculptor, who has been called "Britain's greatest living stone sculptor". She was born in London into a family of artists, writers and politicians. She currently divides her time between studios in London and It ...
. An outbuilding of the hall, named ''Gallery One'', features an indoor art gallery.