Elmswell Old Hall
Elmswell Old Hall, Elmswell Lane
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
SE 95 NE
1470/9/11
GARTON
Elmswell
ELMSWELL LANE (South, off),
Elmswell Old Hall
20-SEP-1966
II*
House. 1634 for Henry Best with late C18 rebuilding to left side of front facade and later additions and alterations including C19 range to front. Reddish-pink brick with pantile roof, two storeys, four first floor windows, the left side is recessed and to right a single storey, single bay range. Off-centre entrance a board door with overlight with vertical glazing bars. Above an ashlar female head. Further entrance to right a board door. To left side are two 16-pane sashes under flat arches of rubbed brick. To right two lights of a mullion window within double-hollow-chamfered surround and with rubbed brick mullions, interrupted by later range. Remains of rubbed brick band to right side. First floor has three 16-pane sashes under flat arches of rubbed brick to left side, and to right a casement window under segmental arch. Two ashlar date plaques, now eroded inserted in range to front. Stepped eaves to left. Brick copings to gable ends. Three rear stacks, that to left has rubbed brick cornice. Gable ends: plinth. To ground and first floor to left and to first floor to right a five-light mullion window now blocked, with rubbed brick mullions and in double hollow-chamfered surrounds, partly obscured by cement. To right, ground floor a tall three-light Yorkshire sash. Three course first and two course second floor bands. To left a casement window to gable and to right remains of a pitching door.
Interior. C17 panelling to some rooms. Elmswell Old Hall, whilst disused and dilapidated at present, is of outstanding significance for its historical associations with Henry Best, its builder. It can clearly be identified with the house in which he wrote his Farming and Memorandum Books relating to the full range of farming and social activities in the region. The
house formed the heart of a farming estate, the minutiae and dynamics of which are set out in remarkable detail in the books and they provide a nationally-important archive of information for historians of all aspects of post-medieval rural life.
D Woodward, ed, The Farming and Memorandum Books of Henry Best of Elmswell 1642, 1984, illus. Pevsner N, Yorkshire, York and The East Riding, 1978, p 305.
Bibliography 3696: The Farming and Memorandum Books of Henry Best of Elmswell 1642, 1984. 3698 The Buildings of England, Yorkshire York and the East Riding (Nikolaus Pevsner and John Hutchingson), 1972, Page(s) 305.
Listing NGR: SE9979658140
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1083792
- Date first listed:
- 20-Sept-1966
- List Entry Name:
- Elmswell Old Hall
- Statutory Address:
- Elmswell Old Hall, Elmswell Lane
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1083792
- Date first listed:
- 20-Sept-1966
- List Entry Name:
- Elmswell Old Hall
- Statutory Address 1:
- Elmswell Old Hall, Elmswell Lane
- Statutory Address 2:
- Elmswell Old Hall, Elmswell Lane
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Elmswell Old Hall, Elmswell Lane
- Statutory Address:
- Elmswell Old Hall, Elmswell Lane
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- East Riding of Yorkshire (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Garton
- National Grid Reference:
- SE9979758138
Summary
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 13 July 2026 to amend a typo in the description and reformat the text to current standards.
SE 95 NE
1470/9/11
GARTON
Elmswell
ELMSWELL LANE (South, off),
Elmswell Old Hall
20-SEP-1966
II*
House. 1634 for Henry Best with late C18 rebuilding to left side of front facade and later additions and alterations including C19 range to front. Reddish-pink brick with pantile roof, two storeys, four first floor windows, the left side is recessed and to right a single storey, single bay range. Off-centre entrance a board door with overlight with vertical glazing bars. Above an ashlar female head. Further entrance to right a board door. To left side are two 16-pane sashes under flat arches of rubbed brick. To right two lights of a mullion window within double-hollow-chamfered surround and with rubbed brick mullions, interrupted by later range. Remains of rubbed brick band to right side. First floor has three 16-pane sashes under flat arches of rubbed brick to left side, and to right a casement window under segmental arch. Two ashlar date plaques, now eroded inserted in range to front. Stepped eaves to left. Brick copings to gable ends. Three rear stacks, that to left has rubbed brick cornice. Gable ends: plinth. To ground and first floor to left and to first floor to right a five-light mullion window now blocked, with rubbed brick mullions and in double hollow-chamfered surrounds, partly obscured by cement. To right, ground floor a tall three-light Yorkshire sash. Three course first and two course second floor bands. To left a casement window to gable and to right remains of a pitching door.
Interior. C17 panelling to some rooms. Elmswell Old Hall, whilst disused and dilapidated at present, is of outstanding significance for its historical associations with Henry Best, its builder. It can clearly be identified with the house in which he wrote his Farming and Memorandum Books relating to the full range of farming and social activities in the region. The
house formed the heart of a farming estate, the minutiae and dynamics of which are set out in remarkable detail in the books and they provide a nationally-important archive of information for historians of all aspects of post-medieval rural life.
D Woodward, ed, The Farming and Memorandum Books of Henry Best of Elmswell 1642, 1984, illus. Pevsner N, Yorkshire, York and The East Riding, 1978, p 305.
Bibliography 3696: The Farming and Memorandum Books of Henry Best of Elmswell 1642, 1984. 3698 The Buildings of England, Yorkshire York and the East Riding (Nikolaus Pevsner and John Hutchingson), 1972, Page(s) 305.
Listing NGR: SE9979658140
Details
This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 13 July 2026 to amend a typo in the description and reformat the text to current standards.
SE 95 NE
1470/9/11
GARTON
Elmswell
ELMSWELL LANE (South, off),
Elmswell Old Hall
20-SEP-1966
II*
House. 1634 for Henry Best with late C18 rebuilding to left side of front facade and later additions and alterations including C19 range to front. Reddish-pink brick with pantile roof, two storeys, four first floor windows, the left side is recessed and to right a single storey, single bay range. Off-centre entrance a board door with overlight with vertical glazing bars. Above an ashlar female head. Further entrance to right a board door. To left side are two 16-pane sashes under flat arches of rubbed brick. To right two lights of a mullion window within double-hollow-chamfered surround and with rubbed brick mullions, interrupted by later range. Remains of rubbed brick band to right side. First floor has three 16-pane sashes under flat arches of rubbed brick to left side, and to right a casement window under segmental arch. Two ashlar date plaques, now eroded inserted in range to front. Stepped eaves to left. Brick copings to gable ends. Three rear stacks, that to left has rubbed brick cornice. Gable ends: plinth. To ground and first floor to left and to first floor to right a five-light mullion window now blocked, with rubbed brick mullions and in double hollow-chamfered surrounds, partly obscured by cement. To right, ground floor a tall three-light Yorkshire sash. Three course first and two course second floor bands. To left a casement window to gable and to right remains of a pitching door.
Interior. C17 panelling to some rooms. Elmswell Old Hall, whilst disused and dilapidated at present, is of outstanding significance for its historical associations with Henry Best, its builder. It can clearly be identified with the house in which he wrote his Farming and Memorandum Books relating to the full range of farming and social activities in the region. The
house formed the heart of a farming estate, the minutiae and dynamics of which are set out in remarkable detail in the books and they provide a nationally-important archive of information for historians of all aspects of post-medieval rural life.
D Woodward, ed, The Farming and Memorandum Books of Henry Best of Elmswell 1642, 1984, illus. Pevsner N, Yorkshire, York and The East Riding, 1978, p 305.
Bibliography 3696: The Farming and Memorandum Books of Henry Best of Elmswell 1642, 1984. 3698 The Buildings of England, Yorkshire York and the East Riding (Nikolaus Pevsner and John Hutchingson), 1972, Page(s) 305.
Listing NGR: SE9979758138
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 167822
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Sources
Books and journals
The Farming and Memorandum Books of Henry Best of Elmswell 1642, (1984)
Pevsner, N, The Buildings of England: Yorkshire - York and the East Riding, (1972), 305
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 15-Jul-2026 at 10:20:08.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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