MIDDLETON ON THE WOLDS HERITAGE

Middleton Hall Land

The area in question was marked as Rectory land on maps dating from 1828. But by 1909 it was designated as a Middleton Hall.

Source H. Teesdale, Yorkshire, surveyed 1817-18, published 1828

Source Middleton Hall | Yorkshire Gardens Trust Map date 1851

Source Middleton Hall | Yorkshire Gardens Trust Map date 1909

The Sale and Legacy of Middleton Hall

The parkland and site of Middleton Hall are located directly south of the village, between Middleton on the Wolds and Lund. In 1932, Middleton Hall and its estate were put up for sale, with the sale particulars highlights the property’s grandeur.

Middleton Hall included gardens, grounds, plantations, stabling, garages, and buildings. The estate also featured The Home Farm, farm buildings, a pair of cottages, and a wooded, secluded park. The estate includes various natural features, such as ponds and wooded areas. The Hall was approached by a short drive from Beverley Road and enjoyed a southwest aspect over the lawns and park.

Internal Accommodation

Ground Floor:

• Outer and Inner Entrance Halls
• Library
• Dining Room
• Billiard Room
• Drawing Room
• Study
• Morning Room
• Cloak Room and Lavatory
• Domestic Offices: Servants’ Hall, Butlers Pantry with built-in safe, Kitchen, Scullery, Larder, Dairies, Wine and Storage Cellars, Lavatories, and other offices

First Floor:

• 9 Bedrooms
• 3 Dressing Rooms
• 2 Bathrooms and WCs
• Day Nursery
• Linen Room

Second Floor:

• 4 Bedrooms
• 1 Bathroom

The Hall featured main and secondary staircases, with hot and cold water supplied to the principal bedrooms. The courtyard was surrounded by 10 loose boxes, a garage for 2 cars, fodder room, saddle and harness rooms, coach house, 2 granaries, dairy, and other buildings. Additionally, there was a modern detached garage (heated) with accommodation for 4 cars. The water supply was from the chalk, pumped by power to the Hall and its buildings, and the drainage was modern.

Estate Sales

Initially, the entire estate of 586 acres, with an annual rent of £1200, was intended to be sold in one transaction. However, certain properties were withdrawn at the first auction. The first sale in March 1932 included:

• Mount Pleasant Farm
• Robin Hood Inn and Land
• Pant Garth Cottages and Gardens

The second sale in June 1932 included:

• Middleton Hall and Estate
• Village Farm
• Fox Covet Farm
• Lammery House
• Keeper’s Cottage
• House on Beverley Road

Dr. Ernest Clements, addressing the Middleton Club Feast in June 1932, sensed the change in the old order of things, signaling the breakup of the estate built by Colonel Brooksbank from an old rectory into one of the finest small estates in the East Riding.

The Legacy of Middleton Hall

Today, one of the first sights upon entering the village is the brick wall running alongside the road. Behind this wall once stood Middleton Hall, which was sadly demolished in 1963. The new owner, Arthur Brooksbank, renamed the house with a grand title and expanded the grounds, incorporating some of the Duke of Devonshire’s land. This included a plantation called Prickett Hollow, which remains today and still contains an oval fish pond in the middle.

Photo of Arthur Brooksbank Source: Unknown, Date unknown

Arthur Brooksbank’s Impact on Village Life

Arthur Brooksbank’s influence on the village was immense. The parkland became the home of both cricket and football matches, with Mr. Brooksbank often entertaining guests. He even had his own cricket team, and the rector, John Blanchard, frequently attended these events.

As the owner of the “big house,” Mr. Brooksbank occasionally hosted entertainment for his staff and others in the locality, maintaining the “master-servant” relationship without upsetting it. The hall had notable links with The Robin Hood Inn:

Treat to Servants
On Friday evening, through the kindness and generosity of Captain Brooksbank, over 70 servants of both sexes were treated to a sumptuous tea in the schoolroom, tastefully decorated for the occasion and supplied by Mr. Outhet of the Robin Hood Inn. After the tables were cleared, addresses were given by Capt. Brooksbank, Revd. H.D. Blanchard (rector), and Revd. H.W. Holden, interspersed with several appropriate songs. The treat was truly appreciated, judging by the happy, smiling faces. It was reported in the Beverley Guardian on 7th December 1867.

Mrs. Brooksbank’s Charity Work

Mrs. Brooksbank was involved in what we might today call charity work. Her husband supported her efforts with the poor by providing a high tea for the inmates of Driffield workhouse. Three cheers for the Brooksbanks!

Driffield Workhouse Inmates Entertained by Captain and Mrs. Brooksbank
Mrs. Brooksbank, a lady Guardian of the Poor, and Captain Brooksbank of Middleton Hall entertained all 118 inmates of the Driffield Workhouse at high tea. The Squire of Middleton and his wife, along with Master and Miss Brooksbank, acted as hosts, bringing their indoor and outdoor staff to assist at the tea and entertain the inmates. The provisions included hams, chicken and rabbit pies, confectionery, jellies, and blancmange, all brought from Middleton Hall. The staff formed a minstrel troupe, rendering several songs and choruses. Before departing, the hosts visited the sick wards, distributing many good things among the occupants. Each child received a toy and sweets, each adult male a pipe and tobacco, and the women packets of tea and sugar. The Master of the Workhouse voiced the thanks of the inmates, and the children raised three hearty cheers on their departure.

The Hall’s Lasting Influence

Although Arthur Brooksbank died in 1901, Middleton Hall remained in the family until 1932. You can read more about Mr. Brooksbank’s impact on village life through his donation of The Reading Rooms to the men of the village at site 3. The stable block also remains, symbolizing the Hall’s significant impact on the lives of the villagers.

In Geoff Wisher’s own words: “The building itself, though not as grand as other East Riding houses, was destined to have a significance way beyond the sum total of its bricks and mortar. The owners, whether the Rectors or later the Squire, exercised a form of social control, usually benevolent but requiring deference on the part of villagers. The expression ‘The Hall’ came to symbolize that control in all its manifestations.”

Pamela Linford expressed this well:
“Although there was no longer a ‘lord of the manor,’ even as a child, I was aware of a hierarchy in the village. That hierarchy consisted of a few people at the top, and then the rest of us.”

Ownership and Demolition

The Hall passed into the ownership of the Prince Smith family. Sir Prince Smith Bart JP of Hillbrook, Keighley, and Southburn near Driffield, head of Messrs Prince Smith & Son textile machinery makers, Keighley, died during the First World War, leaving over one million pounds in his will. He was succeeded by his son Prince, and later by his grandson William. The fourth baronet, born in 1928, died on 28th June 2007 at his home in Rancho Mirage, Palm Springs, California, with no surviving heir, causing the title to lapse.

After the war, the Prince Smiths lived at Southburn. The Hall, used by the army during the war, fell into disrepair and was eventually demolished in 1960. This fate was shared by many large properties in the East Riding and the rest of the country due to the high cost of upkeep, lack of staff, and changing social attitudes.

What Was the Hall Like?

To get an idea of the atmosphere created by smaller “stately homes,” a visit to Wassand Hall near Hornsea is recommended. It opens at certain times in summer.

Source: Geoff Wisher, Heritage Sheet 13

The Hall’s Lasting Influence on Village Life

Even after its demolition, ‘The Hall’ continued to shape the lives of the villagers. Although there was no longer a “lord of the manor,” a distinct hierarchy remained in the village, with a few prominent families at the top.

Personal Memories

“I remember watching my father play cricket in the grounds of The Hall. The Hall itself faced west and was a large white building. However, I have no recollection of the people who lived there. Jasper Hardy, the gamekeeper, lived at the top of Back Street near the Hall laundry. Although he was kind and gentle, his plus fours frightened me, and I would avoid him at all costs.”

Source: Geoff Wisher, Heritage Sheet 32