What makes a beautiful country home? Is it the architecture, the location or a combination
of things? I’m not sure. But one house that really melts my heart is Burton Agnes Hall.
Considered by many to be one of the most beautiful country homes in England,
it gives me great pleasure to share this one with you. Stay tuned to find out more about this
Elizabethan masterpiece and why I consider it to be one of my favourite county homes.
Burton Agnes Hall is without doubt one of my favourite country homes.
There’s something about the Elizabethan house that resonates with me so strongly. Unlike
the grand Baroque and Palladian houses that dominated the 18th century, the Elizabethan
Manor House feels somehow homegrown, and strikes me as being quintessentially English.
Burton Agnes Hall is one such home. With its beautifully proportioned red brick construction,
charming gatehouse and pleasure grounds dominated by rows of manicured hedges,
you might think you had fallen down a rabbit hole and ended up in Wonderland.
But, unlike a fantasy world dreamed up by a 19th century author, Burton Agnes is a
real breathing country manor, and one that is very much open to the public.
Situated midway between Driffield and Bridlington in the East Riding of Yorkshire, the great
house at Burton Agnes is to this day still occupied by descendants of the original owner.
Though the current Hall was constructed at the beginning of the 17th century, the Manor or
village of Burton Agnes is much older. The name ‘Burton’ for example is Anglo Saxon;
meaning fortified farmstead, and with Roman remains found nearby, we can be sure that some
sort of settlement existed here even further back in time. Whilst clearly predating the
Norman invasion of England then, Burton Agnes is mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086 and like
many other of England’s Manors, was rewarded to one of the King William’s loyal supporters;
In this case a French speaking Lord called Robert de Brus, but not the one you’re thinking of.
If you were wondering where the name ‘Agnes’ came from then this is probably the daughter of
a wealthy Lord who married the son of Robert; the manor later forming part of her Dowry.
Around a century after the Normans invaded England, the manor of Burton
Agnes appears to have been acquired by Roger de Stuteville, the son of a local landowning
family. In 1174 he constructed the Norman sandstone house which which still stands
today in the shadow of the Elizabethan Hall. This type of house was designed
with defensibility in mind and features a first floor hall situated above a vaulted undercroft.
From the de Stuteville’s the manor passed to the Merleys,
and from the Merleys through marriage to the Somervilles.
Through Philip de Somerville the manor passed to his daughter Joan, and through her to her husband
Rhys ap Gruffydd (Griffith) who she married in 1325. The Griffiths were likely descendants of
Welsh royalty and in their hands the Burton Agnes estate remained for over 300 years.
And this brings us on nicely to Sir Henry Griffith.
Having spent much of his youth as a ward of Queen Elizabeth I, the ambitious Henry was appointed
sheriff of Staffordshire in 1584 and became a member of the prestigious Council of the North
in 1598. It’s likely following this appointment that Sir Henry decided to build a new home for
his family at his Burton Agnes Manor. Of course, creating a home for his family was not the only
reason he required a great house. A man of his wealth and standing required a showpiece home,
somewhere he could receive important guests and impose upon them his perceived importance.
That’s not to say Sir Henry was a bad man however. Talking about his character
in her book ‘The Manor Houses of Burton Agnes and their owners’, Margaret Imrie
point out how Sir Henry was ’conscious of his position; welcoming advancement,
but earning it through character and application as well as by right of wealth’.
At this time in England many great houses were popping up around the
realm. The so called Prodigy house was very much a product of the Elizabethan
age and whilst likely out of the grasp of Sir Henry, he would have no doubt been inspired by
what he had seen happening at Wollaton and Hardwick. Built to the rules of symmetry,
the new mega mansions were the absolute marvels of their age, and Sir Henry wanted in.
He hired the top architect of the time (although the term architect had not been coined by then)
Robert Smythson, who drew up plans for the Burton Agnes Hall we know and love today. Construction
started in 1601 with the Hall being erected around a central courtyard with the principal
rooms wrapped around it. Imrie sheds some light on this design feature ‘with great ingenuity all
the rooms had windows properly placed, the most important having the new bay ones, either square,
angled or compass (semi-circular), a first for Burton Agnes, that form such an attractive
feature’. The Hall was constructed largely from locally sourced bricks, giving it its
striking red appearance, with elements of the facade incorporating stone highlights.
If Sir Henry was alive today, his beloved house would be easily recognisable from the
outside. In fact, other than some upgrades to the windows, the exterior of the Hall is largely
unchanged from when it was completed in 1610. The Elizabethan Hall is simply beautiful and it’s
easy to see why Simon Jenkins, author of England’s thousand best houses calls it the ‘perfect English
house’. Sir Henry’s youngest daughter Catherine (Anne?) was also a big fan of her family home,
So much so, that when she died following a robbery in 1620, her skull was said to have
been buried somewhere in the house, and her spirit is said to roam the corridors to this very day
Sadly, Sir Henry Griffith died without issue in 1654 and the Hall passed to his nephew,
Sir Frances Boynton. In 1696 the Hall passed to his eldest son Sir Griffith Boynton, 3rd Baronet,
and following his occupation of the house, some considerable changes were made to the interiors,
as we will see shortly. From the Boyntons, the Hall passed through the female line to
the Cunliffe-Lister’s, and although handed to a charitable trust in 1977,
is still occupied by the Cunliffe-Lister family to this day. The property then has never changed
hands through sale since the Norman house was constructed by Roger de Stuteville in 1174, and
has remained in the hands of the same family since the days of Sir Henry Griffith.
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The fact that the Hall is very much ‘lived in’ makes for a very special visitor experience.
The family are clearly very passionate about sharing their home with public,
and visitors to the house will feel very welcome from the moment they arrive.
Upon entering the hall via the main entrance situated within the left protruding bay, visitors
first enter a short corridor which formerly served as a screens passage. Two archways open
this up onto the Great Hall where visitors will be greeted by one of the lovely guides. I think
I’ve said this before, but the guides at Burton Agnes are some of the loveliest, friendliest and
most knowledgable around, and what they don’t know about the hall frankly isn’t worth knowing.
The Great Hall then is absolutely glorious. Imagine being a guest to the house in the
early 17th century and entering this magnificent space to be greeted by the
Lord of the manor. The Great Hall would have looked slightly different back then however,
with the far end of the hall housing the Lord’s table, and the floor beneath your feet comprising
of wood. Modifications by Sir Griffith in the early 18th century resulted in the black and white
floor tiles we see today, and the three archways which lead onto the main staircase and Inner Hall.
Much of the Great Hall is original however with this grand space being
dominated by a magnificent screen situated above the entrance archways. This comprises
stunning plaster work and carved wood depicting biblical scenes.
The great screen is complimented by a similarly impressive alabaster carving which sits above
the fireplace. The carvings are very unique and likely nothing else like these exists in England.
From the Great Hall, access is gained to the rest of the ground floor rooms. Going anti-clockwise,
we have the Downstairs Drawing Room (formerly the Low Dining Room),
the Chinese Room (formerly the Withdrawing Room) the Dining Room (formerly the Still Room),
and the Garden Gallery (formerly the Painted Room). This last space was created by Sir
Griffith and has access to the formal pleasure grounds. This room was once
ensconced in carved oak paneling, but was sadly removed as part of the Baronet’s renovations.
Through the arches sits the principal staircase. This original Jacobean
masterpiece has to be a key feature of the house and was a real innovation when
it was installed. Whilst most staircases were being built of stone at the time,
this was crafter from solid Oak and features remarkable ornate decoration.
Upstairs can be found another wonderful suit of rooms. When the Hall was built,
esteemed guests would have ascended the grand staircase where they would
have emerged into what was previously Sir Henry’s Great Chamber. This beautifully
decorated room would have served the function of a medieval Great Hall on state occasions,
and is where Sir Henry would have dined with, and later entertained his guests.
Like many of the other interior spaces however, this room did not escape modernisation in the 18th
century. Like the Garden Gallery downstairs, the carved wood panelling was removed by Sir Griffith,
and the great chamber was redecorated as a fashionable sitting room, or saloon.
Next to this sits the State guest apartments which comprise of the King’s bedroom and the Queen’s
bedroom. These rooms are absolutely exquisite and clearly no expense was spared on their decoration.
The Queens bedroom is dominated by a four poster bed and features wood panelled
walls and a fireplace framed by classical columns. The star of the show however has
to be the exquisite plaster ceiling, which is intricately decorated with honeysuckle. This
is said to be a particularly unique design and a break from the norm.
The plasterer employed must have been exceptionally talented.
The King’s bedroom pays homage to King James I and features a stunning blue damask clad
Italian bed dating to the 17th century. It was previously thought that the King might
have stayed at Burton Agnes in 1603 prior to being crowned at Westminster. This was
likely not the case however as the Hall was still very much under construction. Like the
Queen’s bedroom next door, the walls are adorned with carved wood panels and whilst the geometric
plaster ceiling might not be as intricate as its neighbour, it is no less impressive.
After experiencing the magnificence of the Great Hall and the grandeur of the state bedrooms,
one might imagine the best of Burton Agnes Hall had already been revealed.
Not so however. Visitors once again ascending the grand staircase will
find themself within what is likely the jewel in the Hall’s crown. I’m talking of course of
the masterpiece that is the Long Gallery. At 115 feet in length the Gallery stretches the
full length of the house and features the most spectacular barrel ceiling.
Imagine being a visitor to the Hall in the early 17th century and emerging into this epic space.
The panelled walls would have been deliberately plain, drawing the eye up to the plaster ceiling
with its intricate pattern of painted flowers and foliage. The Palladian windows at each end
of the Gallery were 18th century additions, one of the few visible exterior alterations
made by Sir Griffith. The Gallery was partially restored in 1951 with the ceiling being a major
focus and the attached Library also gaining a new lease of life. A further restoration
occurred in 1974 resulting in the remarkably fresh looking Long Gallery we see today.
Burton Agnes Hall then, as you have seen is one of the most beautiful country homes in England,
but sadly one of the least known. Part of the Historic Houses Association,
access for members is absolutely free, and if you ask me is worth the membership fee
alone. There is so much to do at Burton Agnes which is also famous for its beautiful walled
garden. Families will just love finding their way through the yew maze and woodland walks,
and the on site adventure playground is one of the very best around.
Burton Agnes Hall and gardens is a real favourite of mine, not just because it’s such a fantastic
family day out, but because I genuinely believe the Hall is one of the most beautiful country
homes around. The stunning red brick Hall with its elaborate gatehouse and manicured hedges
is like a ready made film set, and the Jacobean and Georgian interiors are absolutely marvellous.
I hope that from watching this video, more people will take an interest in
this remarkable heritage site, and pay it a visit. If you want to experience
one of the most original and picturesque Elizabethan homes this country has to offer
then please do yourself a favour and schedule yourself a visit. You won’t be disappointed.
Thank you to Olivia Cunliffe-Lister for allowing me to make this film. If you
have enjoyed it and want to see more like this, then please do consider hitting the
like button and subscribing to my channel. I am also on Instagram at eheritage.uk.
For more on Burton Agnes Hall please read ‘The
manor houses of Burton Agnes and their owners’ by Margaret Imrie.
Thanks so much for watching. Stay safe.