Hovingham Hall facts for kids
Hovingham Hall is a beautiful country house located in the village of Hovingham, in North Yorkshire, England. It has been the home of the Worsley family for a very long time. It was also the childhood home of The Duchess of Kent. The house was built in the 1700s on land where the Worsley family has lived since the 1500s.
The hall is built from smooth limestone blocks with roofs made of special slate tiles. It is shaped like the letter 'L'. What's really interesting is that the main entrance is actually part of the old stable building! Hovingham Hall is considered a very important historical building and has a special 'Grade I' listing. In the gardens, there's also a lovely temple and a decorative bridge over a waterfall, which are also protected as 'Grade II' listed structures. Even the wall around the hall and a pigeon house are listed as 'Grade II'.
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A Look Back at Hovingham Hall
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The Worsley family bought the land where Hovingham Hall stands in 1563. The house you see today was built between 1750 and 1774. It was designed by Thomas Worsley VI, who lived from 1710 to 1778. He was a very important person who oversaw building projects for King George III.
What makes Hovingham Hall unique is that it was built around the existing stable block. This stable block now serves as the main entrance to the house. It even used to have a riding school where Thomas Worsley taught King George III how to ride horses! Thomas Worsley was also a politician, serving as a Member of Parliament (MP) for different areas from 1761 to 1774.
The Worsley Family and Their Legacy
After Thomas Worsley, his son Edward took over the house. Then, in 1830, Edward's nephew William became the owner. In 1838, William was given a special title and became the first Baronet Worsley of Hovingham. A Baronet is a title that can be passed down through the family, similar to a knight.
Right in front of the house is a cricket pitch. It might even be the oldest private cricket pitch in all of England! Colonel Sir William Worsley, 4th Baronet, who lived from 1890 to 1973, was a famous cricket player. He was the captain of the Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 1928 and 1929. He also held important local roles, like being the King's representative for the North Riding of Yorkshire.
His son, Sir Marcus Worsley, 5th Baronet, who lived from 1925 to 2012, also had a distinguished career. He was a Member of Parliament for different areas and served as the King's representative for North Yorkshire. Sir Marcus Worsley's younger sister is Katharine Lucy Mary Worsley, who became The Duchess of Kent. This means Hovingham Hall was her childhood home.
Special Events at the Hall
The Hovingham Festival, a music event, was started in 1887 by Canon Hudson. It was held in the riding school at Hovingham Hall. The festival took place 13 times until 1906. After many years, the festival was brought back in the 1950s.
Today, Hovingham Hall is lived in by Sir William Worsley, 6th Baronet, who is the eldest son of the 5th Baronet, and his wife Marie-Noëlle. The house and its beautiful gardens are open to visitors for a short time each year, usually during June.
See also
- Grade I listed buildings in North Yorkshire (district)
- Listed buildings in Hovingham
- Worsley baronets
- Sir William Worsley, 4th Baronet
- Sir Marcus Worsley, 5th Baronet
- Sir William Worsley, 6th Baronet
