19 Iconic Buildings to Explore in North Yorkshire

Allerton Castle is one of England’s most elegant and illustrious gothic revival stately homes, surrounded by 200 acres of land. The home is rated a Grade I by English Heritage, making it one of the most important Gothic Revival homes in all of England. It is ten miles east of Harrogate and just east of the A1, at its junction with the A59 York-Knaresborough road and a late 20th-century block used for education and corporate functions.

Bolton Castle is a stark and imposing medieval fortress at the entrance to Wensleydale, begun by Richard le Scrope in 1378. It was a grand family home as well as a defensive fortress and, despite being partially ‘slighted’ by Cromwell’s’ men during the Civil War siege, is still preserved in outstanding condition with many interesting rooms and features to discover. The castle is still in the private ownership of Lord Bolton, the direct descendant of the castle’s original owner Sir Richard le Sc

The handsome 17th century house in Grape Lane is where the young James Cook came to serve his apprenticeship in the year 1746. It now houses a superb collection of original exhibits about Yorkshire’s most famous son. Original paintings, maps and manuscripts, ship models and Pacific artifacts tell the story of the Voyages.

Castle Howard is a magnificent historic house in the north of England with ornate interiors, landscaped gardens and adventure playground and so more to enjoy. The house is familiar to television and film audiences as the fictional "Brideshead", both in Granada Television's 1981 adaptation of Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited and in a two-hour 2008 adaptation for cinema. Today, it is part of the Treasure Houses of England group of heritage houses.

Fountains Abbey was established by Benedictine monks from St Mary's Abbey in York, in 1132. The 70-acre site known collectively as Fountains Abbey was originally nothing more than some wooden church buildings resting on a verdant field.

Helmsley Castle is an imposing 12th-century castle overlooking the market town of Helmsley, on the southern edge of the North York Moors National Park. The castle was built sometime after 1120 by Walter Espec, who was also responsible for founding nearby Rievaulx Abbey and Kirkham Priory. It is positioned on a rocky outcrop overlooking the River Rye. Featuring double ditches surrounding a rectangular inner bailey, the castle bears little resemblance to the motte and bailey castles built at the t

Kiplin Hall is a Jacobean historic house at Kiplin in North Yorkshire, England, and a Grade I listed building. It stands by the River Swale in the Vale of Mowbray. Kiplin Hall is rich in education, in architecture and art, a museum of history, a gallery and provides a biographical record of its past English country house owners. The nearest villages are Scorton, Great Langton and Bolton-on-Swale.

The majestic riverside ruins of Kirkham Priory are set in the beautiful Derwent valley on the edge of the Howardian Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Kirkham Priory was founded as an Augustinian monastic house around 1120 by Walter Espec, Lord of Helmsley. The area was later used to test the D-Day landing vehicles and was visited by Winston Churchill. The ruins are now Grade I listed and in the care of English Heritage.

Knaresborough Castle is beautifully set overlooking the River Nidd. Explore the castle independently or join a tour to discover the history of the King’s Chamber, visit the dungeon and scurry through the secret underground exit. The remains of the castle are open to the public and there is a charge for entry to the interior remains. The grounds are used as a public leisure space, with a bowling green and putting green open during summer. It is also used as a performing space, with bands playing

Middleham Castle at Wensleydale in Yorkshire was the childhood home of King Richard III. The castle was built to defend the road from Richmond to Skipton, though some have suggested the original site of the castle was far better to achieve this than the later location. After the death of King Richard III the castle remained in royal hands until it was allowed to go to ruin in the 17th century. Many of the stones from the castle were used in other buildings in the village of Middleham.

Beningbrough Hall was built in 1716 for John Bourchier whose family had held the estate since Tudor times. It has baroque interiors, cantilevered stairs, wood carving, and central corridors which run the length of the house. Externally the house is a red-brick Georgian mansion with a grand drive running to the main frontage and a walled garden, The house is home to more than 100 portraits on loan from the National Portrait Gallery. It has a restaurant, shop, and garden shop, and was shortlisted

Nunnington Hall is a country house situated in the English county of North Yorkshire. The river Rye, which gives its name to the local area, Ryedale, runs past the house, flowing away from the village of Nunnington. A stone bridge over the river separates the grounds of the house from the village. Above, a ridge known as Caulkley's Bank lies between Nunnington and the Vale of York to the south.

Newby Hall is the family home of Mr & Mrs. Richard Compton, is one of England's finest houses, an exceptional example of 18th-century interior decoration. It is 3 miles south-east of Ripon and 6 miles south of Topcliffe Castle, by which the manor of Newby was originally held. A Grade I listed building, the hall contains a collection of furniture and paintings and is surrounded by extensive gardens. Newby Hall is open to the public.

A beautiful seventeenth-century brick house and a mainly twentieth-century garden by Major Edward Compton. It is 3 miles south-east of Ripon and 6 miles south of Topcliffe Castle, by which the manor of Newby was originally held. A Grade I listed building, the hall contains a collection of furniture and paintings and is surrounded by extensive gardens. Newby Hall is open to the public.

Pickering Castle was a motte-and-bailey castle built by the Normans as part of the suppression of Northern England. It was erected on a hilltop site overlooking Pickering Brook, on the main route between Helmsley and Scarborough on the coast. It was used by a succession of medieval Kings as a hunting lodge and holiday home. By the time of the Civil War, its military purpose had long been abandoned, and most of the castle was left to decay.

A majestic 700-year-old castle steeped in history with magnificent grounds, lakes, Deer Park, Walled Gardens, Hothouses, and Kitchen Garden. It has been the home of the Ingilby family for twenty-six generations and Sir Thomas and Lady Ingilby and their five children continue the tradition. A gatehouse that stands some 260 feet to the south of the main buildings is also Grade I listed, whilst the two weirs over Ripley Beck are grade II listed and the grounds and gardens are also listed at grade I

Scampston Hall is one of the finest regency country houses in North Yorkshire and contains many fine works of art, furniture, and porcelain. The hall features in two storeys of stuccoed orange-red brick with a slate roof and stuccoed brick chimney stacks. The frontage has seven bays, the central three of which are bowed. Its Walled Garden has an exciting and unashamedly modern feel to and complements the adjacent 18th-century 'Capability' Brown parkland.

Skipton Castle is one of the most complete and best-preserved medieval castles in England and is well worth a visit at any season of the year. Further major upgrades were made in the early fourteenth century when the castle passed into the hands of the Clifford family who, apart from a short period during the Wars of the Roses, owned it for almost 350 years. You may relax on the peaceful Chapel Terrace with its fine views over the town and woods, and enjoy traditional fare in the Clifford Tea-ro