Marske Hall

Location, Area, Boundaries, Landform and Setting

Marske Hall and estate are located at Cat Bank, Marske, Yorkshire Dales National Park near Richmond. Most of the garden is separated from the hall by the Richmond-Reeth turnpike, which was authorised in 1836.

Principal Building

The 18th-century hall and stables have been under development as residential or holiday accommodation and in 2023 the whole estate was put up for sale.

Gardens and Pleasure Grounds

The earliest surviving part of the garden is probably the brick walled area at its northern edge, which may date from the 17th century. This contains greenhouses and faces the hall across the Marske Beck. The beck is a central feature of an ornamental garden with fishponds and a fountain, which was developed after the construction of the turnpike.

The hall is on the other side of the road, which cuts across an avenue of lime trees which may have been planned as an approach to the hall before the turnpike's route was established. The east gateway to the hall was built when the road was constructed and is aligned with the avenue. John Hutton IV (1774-1841) planted trees widely. Specimen trees, including Austrian pine and American redwood occupy the garden, which leads into woods at the eastern end.

John Hutton IV built a Gothic barn as an eyecatcher. He also planted woods at Clints (on the north side of the valley) and in the former deer park, to the south-west of the hall. He erected an obelisk in the deer park as a monument to his brother, Matthew. Matthew died in 1814, and the obelisk occupies a favourite viewpoint from his youth.