Tarn House

SD 86 NE MALHAM MOOR TARN HOUSE ROAD (south side)

14/139 Tarn House

II

Country house, now National Trust Field Centre. c.1780 for Thomas Lister, Lord Ribblesdale, with extension to rear c.1802 and 1853 and additions to the east in 1862-85 for Walter Morrison. Dressed medium-grained sandstone, greyslate roofs. 2-storey, 3 x 3 bay C18 range with 1 x 3 bay later C19 east range, and other C19 additions to rear, not of special interest. South front C18 range has centre breaking forward as a 2-storey canted bay and later C19 glass-roofed verandah; recessed sashes throughout, with plate glass to ground floor and with glazing bars to first floor; eaves band; hipped roof; ridge stacks flanking central bay and 2 more to left return. On right, bow fronted east range has tall windows to ground and first floor,with architraves and sill band; eaves band and cornice. left return: rendered with raised quoins; square central window with tall stair window above; flanking sashes with glazing bars in projecting stone surround. Right return: main entrance in porch with large doors in moulded architrave and cornice on brackets. Interior: the east (entrance) range has a find staircase with wrought iron balustrade. Thomas Lister was MP for Clitheroe in Lancashire until 1790 when he retired to his estate at Gisburn Park. He was created Baron Ribblesdale of Gisburn Park in 1797 and built Tarn House (then called Malham Water House) as a hunting box occupied by his agent Thomas Collins (d.1816). In 1852 Lister's son sold the extended house to James Morrison whose son lived there until his death in 1921. the Morrisons were visited by Charles Kingsley who was inspired to write "The Water Babies" while staying there, and John Ruskin probably influenced the design of the east entrance wing which had a tall campanile above the entrance (demolished after 1963) A. Raistrick, Old Yorkshire Dales, 1967, p.138 A. Raistrick, Malham Tarn House, Field Studies-Vol.l No. 5 1963, p.89.

Listing NGR: SD8938067241