Shandy Hall

Details

COXWOLD VILLAGE STREET SE 5277-5377 (north side) 9/30 Shandy Hall 28.2.52 - I

Medieval hall house, probably for priest,with later alterations and additions as rectory and farmhouse. Hall house of c.1450, with inserted floor and other alterations in C17, C15 gabled cross wings at each end, the whole encased in brick in late C17 or early C15, and with addition to left and internal altera- tions of 1767 for Laurence Sterne; restored mid 1960s. Timber-framed core refaced in brick, graduated stone slate roof to front, stone slates to rear. Central hall now of 1 1/2 storeys, with added rear outshut, flanked by 2-storey cross wings. Hall: to right, part-glazed door to screens passage with com- memorative inscription above; to left, ground-floor 16-pane sash window in header-brick segmental-arched opening, and first-floor 12-pane unequally-hung sash window above. Right cross-wing: ground-floor 16-pane sash, first-floor sash window with glazing bars and 16-pane sash, all with header-brick segmental-arched openings. Left cross-wing: on each floor a 16-pane sash window in header-brick segmental-arched opening. Further to left, projecting forward, screen wall masking reversed lean-to roof of Sterne extension (see left return). Chimney: (see right return). Rear: gables flanking outshut with side-sliding sash windows, 2 gables to left, 1 to right forming stair turret. Left return (Sterne extension): brick in irregular bond; windows have header- brick segmental-arched openings; ground floor from left has 16-pane sash window; round-arched recessed part-glazed door; round-arched shell niche; 16-pane sash window. First floor: 2 side-sliding sash windows of different sizes; central stack rising from parapet. To left, C20 arcaded loggia replacing C19 coal sheds etc. Right return: to left, small external stack, largely of brick, with tall leaning superstructure serving Sterne's Study and Eliza's Room; to right, very large external stepped stone stack serving kitchen, with brick top, and with side-sliding sash window in it to kitchen, and early bread oven extended onto it to right. Interior: screens passage has doors of 2 fielded panels, some with original door furniture; near front door, C17 oak staircase with splat balusters, to front right, Sterne's Study, with inserted Carron cast-iron fire- grate in eared surround; to rear right, kitchen with C18 corner cupboard with plate rack and shelf; external fireplace has moulded bressummer and jowelled post, with inserted late C18-early C19 ashlar surround with rounded inner corners to lintel, containing cast-iron range with crane; to its right, later bread oven with cast-iron door with coat of arms of William IV by J Walker, York; in left reveal of large fireplace opening, salt box and outline of earlier bread oven. To left of screens passage, Dining Room with C17 painted oak panel- ling with wooden cornice; inserted C18 hob grate in fireplace later than timber-frame; door of 4 fielded panels with H-hinges; stop-chamfered beams. In rear wall, visible from modern kitchen in outshut, C15 oak 4-light mullion window with 2 lath panels above, relating to hall before floor inserted. Off rear of Dining Room, early-C18 pine splat baluster staircase in turret. To left, Parlour with stop-chamfered beams of inferior quality to Dining Room; fragment of Elizabethan panelling with frieze; C17 panelling, and behind it on inner wall, mid C15 painted wall plaster showing vine foliage and Sacred Monogram; C18 shell niche, largely renewed C20, across corner near door of 6 fielded panels unusually disposed. Off Parlour, annexe added by Sterne, and side entrance hall, with access down to wine cellar, of twin barrel vaults. On first floor, Sterne's Bedroom above Parlour, has behind restored panelling on inner wall early C16 painting of a man in Tudor costume with a halberd; other fragments of stencil decoration; Carron cast-iron gate in C18 fire surround with acanthus motif on mantel; painted fielded panelling; oak door. Above Sterne's Study, Eliza's Room, fitted out by Sterne for Eliza Draper in 1767, with fielded panelling below dado which has ovolo section and ornament rack above; cast-iron fireplace in surround with Greek key motif; original floorboards; dressing room nearby to rear has C18 pine clothes hooks. Laurence Sterne lived here 1760-68 as perpetual curate of Coxwold, and it was in this house that his most famous novel, Tristram Shandy, was written. Giles Worsley 'Shandy Hall, North Yorkshire', Country Life, November 7, 1985. Photos in NMR..

Listing NGR: SE5312077291

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

332739

Legacy System:

LBS

Sources

Books and journals
Country Life in 7 November, (1985)

End of official list entry

All text content is available under the Open Government Licence v3.0 , except where otherwise stated. Any supplied maps are © Crown Copyright [and database rights] 2026 OS AC0000815036 and may not be reproduced without permission.