East Riddlesden Hall is a manor house, built in the 1640s, by James Murgatroyd, a wealthy yeoman clothier from Halifax. It was built on the site of an older hall but little of that remains. James Murgatroyd and his family were staunch Royalists, during the English Civil War (1642-1651) when it was unwise to advertise that allegiance. That did not stop him having the heads of King Charles I and his Queen carved in stone in the Hall, with the legend 'Vive le Roy' (Long live the King.) Many Royalists were forced to forfeit their land. That didn't happen to the Murgatroyds but their property in Halifax was attacked and captured by the Parliamentarians. The family must have escaped or been released and by 1648 East Riddlesden Hall was completed. The surrounding land was farmed and for many years the house was let to tenant farmers, which meant it has stayed substantially unchanged.With its oak panelled rooms and mullioned windows, the house has quite a cosy, 'lived-in' feel inside (though reputed to have ghosts!) and is now furnished with Yorkshire oak furniture of the 17th & 18th centuries. The Yorkshire rose window that you can see is typical of grand houses in this area, the West Riding of Yorkshire.
I love the story, the house , the place and your picture!!The beauty of the light flowers make the house even more grey and severe, and the idea that there are ghosts inside..Humm!:)A great post, thank you!
ReplyDeleteA lovely old manor house and a great shot too. It could tell many interesting stories if the walls could talk. Is it open to the public or still lived in?
ReplyDeleteA very solid northern looking building; love the name, East Riddlesden.
ReplyDeleteMagnificent house and I love hearing all the history behind it!
ReplyDeleteGreat post, I really enjoyed learning more. Laughed when looking up the Riddlesden Slice that your blog came up.Looked at many other archives after that.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant! This looks like a beautiful and fantastic place to explore and photograph. I'd love to visit someday.
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the original owner's name, all I could think of was that cartoon character that always uttered the phrase "Heavens to Murgatroyd!" (You may be too young to remember though.) How beautiful this manor home is with those wonderful flowers in the foreground. ~Lili
ReplyDeleteI want to live there!
ReplyDeleteThere is no end to the fantastic history you live around!
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh at your comment about a fence around the train crossings. No we don't have those, but you'd think a country that is as safety driven and lawsuit happy as we are would have such a thing!
Oh I love this historical houses! Wonderful impressions from the old manor. Greetings from Luzia.
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