Goldsborough Hall

Goldsborough Hall, near Knaresborough, is a Grade II* listed building that dates back to Jacobean times, the early 1600s. Built by Sir Richard Hutton, a prominent lawyer who became High Sheriff of Yorkshire in 1623, it was for many years a family home, eventually becoming part of the Harewood estate in the 1750s. It was the home of Mary, Princess Royal, after she married the 6th Earl of Harewood in 1922. She was the daughter of King George V and Queen Mary and the King and Queen are known to have stayed here many times in the 1920s.  It was a school during WWII, then reverted to a family home and later became a nursing home. In 2005 it was sold again and once more reverted to a family house, though now the owners host weddings and corporate events, accommodating guests in luxurious rooms. 

They have also replanted the neglected gardens, which are open to the public on a few days each year as part of the National Gardens Scheme. It raises money for charity (and provides retirees like me with an endless source of pleasant outings!)

The surrounding estate and village bear all the hallmarks of an English country house estate, although the village was auctioned off in 1952, ending 1000 years of estate ownership.