Historic England research records

Historic England Research Records

Mount Grace House
Hob Uid: 968136
Location : North Yorkshire Hambleton East Harlsey
Grid Ref : SE4485798479
Summary : A post-dissolution manor house and gardens within the former priory (record 55685); the house started out as the 15th century guest house to the priory. The estate was purchased by Thomas Lascelles in 1654 and the former guest house was converted into a manor house, bearing the date 1654. It was extended and restored in 1901, with Arts and Crafts Movement style details, for Sir Isaac Lowthian Bell . The building is in the care of English Heritage.
More information : Mount Grace House and Gardens (SE 449 985). After the suppression of the Carthusian house of Mount Grace (SE 49 NW 5) the priory appears to have remained deserted or in agricultural use for almost a century. However in the mid seventeenth century it was sold to Thomas Lascelles when he converted the guesthouse into a manor house. A stone in the entrance porch records the date 1654. From the late seventeenth century the house appears to have been occupied by tenants and may have fallen into disrepair by the nineteenth century. By the turn of the century the house had been purchased by the wealthy industrialist Sir Lowthian Bell who rebuilt the house, decorating the interior in the latest Arts and Craft style. Some of the earthworks to the west of the house are probably the remains of gardens that went with the seventeenth house. These might include the `moat' like feature which may be seen to cut the line of an earlier pond. The scarps to the east of the pond and set perpendicular to it may also be of this date. Some remodelling of the garden took place around 1900 when the house was refurbished. Work at this date included the construction of stone terraces to the west of the house and the laying out of a tennis court within the southern courtyard of the priory. It is also probable that some of the modern planting dates from this period. This account is based upon a RCHME archaeological level 3 survey which is held in the NMR (1).

Sources :

Source Number : 1
Source :
Source details : Wayne Cocroft/07-FEB-1995/RCHME: Mount Grace Priory Survey
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Source Number : 2
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Source details : Hambleton, 23-JUL-1980
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Source Number : 3
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Monument Types:

Monument Period Name : Medieval
Display Date : 15th century
Monument End Date : 1500
Monument Start Date : 1401
Monument Type : Guest House
Evidence : Documentary Evidence, Extant Building

Monument Period Name : Post Medieval
Display Date : Dated 1654
Monument End Date : 1654
Monument Start Date : 1654
Monument Type : House, Garden, Date Stone
Evidence : Documentary Evidence, Extant Building, Botanical Feature

Monument Period Name : Early 20th Century
Display Date : Extended restored, garden remodeled 1901
Monument End Date : 1901
Monument Start Date : 1901
Monument Type : House, Garden
Evidence : Documentary Evidence, Extant Building, Botanical Feature

Components and Objects:

Related Records from other datasets:

External Cross Reference Source : Listed Building List Entry Legacy Uid
External Cross Reference Number : 332434
External Cross Reference Notes :

External Cross Reference Source : National Monuments Record Number
External Cross Reference Number : SE 49 NW 15
External Cross Reference Notes :

Related Warden Records :

Related Activities :

Associated Activities :
Activity type : MEASURED SURVEY
Start Date : 1992-07-07
End Date : 1992-08-14

Associated Activities :
Activity type : WATCHING BRIEF
Start Date : 2010-01-01
End Date : 2010-12-31

Historic England Research Records

Mount Grace House