The Leeds and Liverpool Canal near Keighley - a NT property worth a visit

Sunday, 16 August 2009 09:00

A Yorkshire Royalist stronghold

Today we visited East Riddlesden Hall. Like Lady Anne Clifford of Skipton Castle, James Murgatroyd was an ardent Royalist and his loyalties are celebrated in the present house he built and extended in 1642. James was a wealthy Halifax Clothier, making his money from milling and weaving. He chose a plateau above the River Aire for his new home, which was to showcase his wealth and status.

We walked down from Granby Swing Bridge (197A) and  the entrance to the Hall is just over the main road below the canal. The entrance road opens to give a lovely view of the duck pond in front of the house and the Medieval Tithe Barn to the left.

We went inside the Tithe Barn first - it is very dark inside and the only light comes from the doors and a few slits.

The floor is very rough and it is divided into cattle stalls and two threshing floors

There is a small collection of old working carts and wagons too.

The property has seen a number of owners since the Barn has been here. In the 1150s it was the Maude family; the Paslews took over in the early 1400s. They were followed by the Rishworths in 1671. The Murgatroyds were at the Hall for only for a short while in comparison to others, and the Starkies took over for nearly 200 years in 1675. The Bences and the Bacons from Suffolk were next, but between 1861 and the 1920s the land was sold off for building houses. The Hall was saved by the Keighley brothers who donated it to the National Trust in 1934.

We then ventured towards the house - as members of the NT we were able to enter for free.

Manor House from front

The house is full of furniture, paintings and embroidery from the 17th and 18th centuries and with some amazing plastered ceilings. The two rose windows and the plaster mouldings illustrate the Murgatroyd Royalist loyalties.

There is no photography allowed in NT properties - so I could only take this one of John in the entrance doorway and the corridor beyond, leading to the downstairs rooms and the gardens.

We learned a couple of "fascinating facts" though! Servants would sleep on "truckle beds" that were stored under the main beds. These would be trundled out after the "Master and Mistress" had been helped to go to bed and then the bed would taken to the adjoining room. The name "truckle" is from the likeness of the wheels of these beds to truckle cheeses.

Once in bed - it had rope to support the mattress - the servant would tighten the rope with a special tool - thus being able to "sleep tight". So next time you tell someone to "sleep tight" remember the origin of the phrase!

The second fact was learned in the kitchen, where they had a display of kitchen articles and utensils. There was a drinking vessel made of leather which looks rather like a boot. From this object may come the phrase "drinking bout" (a Frenchman was heard to say that the English drank from their boots!). I think it was used by soldiers to drink from on marches - maybe the origin of the word "jackboot," a soldiers boot.

From here we went out into the sunshine and a lovely formal garden. The smell of lavender hit us, as the door is bordered on both sides by lavender bushes.

The door led to an orchard walk lined with apple and pear trees

We sat on this seat to admire the lawn and herbaceous borders

From a walk behind the herbaceous border the house was bathed in sunshine

I have to say that I found the house rather oppressive and dark. I have since learned that there are reputedly a couple of ghosts who walk the house. I was glad to be out in the fresh air away from the gloom and heavy furniture - although it was beautifully carved.

This is called the Falconry Garden, are the wall niches for falcons waiting to be flown?

The view from the herb garden

In the field below the house there is a maze

and John could not resist it!

East Riddlesden Hall has been used for film locations. In 1992 it was used for the film Wuthering Heights and in 1997 for Sharpe's Justice. An interesting afternoon and enough history to keep me quiet for a while!