Fountains Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Fountains Hall |
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Fountains Hall
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| Type | Prodigy house |
| Location | Studley Royal Park |
| Built | 1598-1611 |
| Built for | Sir Stephen Proctor |
| Architectural style(s) | Elizabethan and Jacobean |
| Owner | National Trust |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Fountains Hall | |
| Designated | 23 April 1952 |
| Reference no. | 1149809 |
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Fountains Hall is a beautiful old country house in North Yorkshire, England. It's found inside the amazing Studley Royal Park, which is a World Heritage Site and includes the famous ruins of Fountains Abbey. Today, the National Trust looks after Fountains Hall. It is considered a very important historic building, known as a Grade I listed building. This means it's protected because of its special history and architecture.
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A Look Back at Fountains Hall's History
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Fountains Hall was built a long time ago, between 1598 and 1611. It was built by a man named Stephen Proctor. He even used some stones from the nearby Fountains Abbey ruins to help build it!
This house is a great example of a "prodigy house" from the late Elizabethan era. These were large, fancy houses built by wealthy people to show off their importance.
New Owners and Changes
After Stephen Proctor passed away in 1619, Fountains Hall was owned by the Messenger family. About 150 years later, they sold it to William Aislabie, who lived nearby at Studley Royal.
Because the Aislabie family already had a home at Studley Royal, Fountains Hall wasn't their main residence. It was often rented out to other people. For a while, parts of the house were even used to store farm equipment!
Modern Updates and Royal Visitors
Between 1928 and 1931, Fountains Hall got a big makeover. It was renovated and updated. During this time, the Duke and Duchess of York, who later became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, often stayed there. They were guests of Lady Doris Vyner.
Fountains Hall During World War II
During the Second World War, Fountains Hall and other buildings on the estate were used to help people. They became homes for evacuees, who were people moved from cities to safer places.
For example, Queen Ethelburga's School from Harrogate moved to Studley Royal during the war. Fountains Hall was used as the school's sanatorium, which is like a small hospital. The stable area and courtyard were turned into dormitories for students. One corner even became the school chapel.
Today, the hall has a balcony. However, visitors cannot use it because the staircase is not considered safe for public use.
A Special Memorial at Fountains Hall
The Vyner family, who lived at Fountains Hall, sadly lost two of their children during the Second World War. Their son, Charles, was a pilot in the Royal Naval Reserve. He went missing during air operations near Rangoon. Their daughter, Elizabeth, was part of the Women's Royal Naval Service. She died while serving in Felixstowe, Suffolk.
There is a special sculpture at Fountains Hall that remembers them. You can see it as you leave the house down the stone steps. It has a powerful message that starts with words by John Maxwell Edmonds:
WHEN YOU GO HOME
TELL THEM OF US
AND SAY
FOR YOUR TOMORROW
WE GAVE OUR TODAY
FROM THIS THEIR HOME, THEY WENT FORTH TO WAR.
Elizabeth Vyner WRNS – Died on Active Service June 3rd 1942 Aged 18 years.
Also her brother Charles De Grey Vyner Sub Lieut (A) RNVR Reported missing
from Air Operations Off Rangoon May 2nd 1945 Aged 19 Years.
After the war, the hall became quite run down again.
Fountains Hall Today
The National Trust took over the Fountains Estate in 1983. They have worked hard to restore Fountains Hall. Part of the building has been made into apartments, and one of them can even be rented for holidays.
Visitors to Fountains Abbey can explore the oak-panelled stone hall and a nearby exhibition room. There are also plans to restore the chapel inside the hall.
Fountains Hall on the Big Screen
Fountains Hall has been used as a filming location for movies and TV shows!
- It was used for outdoor scenes of Baddesley Clinton in the 2017 BBC One miniseries Gunpowder. This show was about the events leading up to the Gunpowder Plot.
- Some outside shots for the 1993 film The Secret Garden were also filmed here.
