Bear Park

Bear Park is a manor house dating from the 17th century, with possible earlier origins. It was historically the seat of a branch of the Metcalfe family of Wensleydale. The building is constructed of rubble with a stone slate roof. It follows an E-plan, featuring a central through-passage. The south elevation has five first-floor windows. A six-panel door with an overlight is situated below the third window, set within an ashlar surround featuring a wave-moulded arris, a Tudor-arched head, and a hood-mould. The windows are mullioned, double-chamfered with a hollow on the inner chamfer, and have hood-moulds, mostly renewed. To the left of the door, two bays of three-light windows are present. Above the door is a three-light first-floor window, and to the right, a two-light window on the ground floor is followed by a bay of four-light windows of a slightly different design. Adjacent to this are a four-light window on the ground floor and an original five-light window above. At each end are unequal coped gables to the cross-wings, each containing an oculus with an ashlar moulded and keyed surround; the right-hand gable has a cross saltire on each key. The right-hand gable extends downwards over an outshut with a three-light window to the ground floor. 19th-century ashlar stacks are located at the ends and to the right of the through-passage. The rear elevation has two unequal cross-wings, with a projecting porch. A central, single-storey gabled porch features a board door in an ashlar quoined surround with wave-moulded arris and a Tudor-arched head. To the left of the door is a two-light, double-chamfered mullion window, and above, an oculus with a moulded ashlar keyed surround. Double-chamfered mullion windows are present, with two lights on the ground floor to the right of the porch, and three lights on the first floor on both sides. To the left of the porch on the ground floor, a stone slab, believed to be from Coverham Abbey, is situated. This slab is richly carved with a coat of arms, displaying the Instruments of the Passion held by two small angels, flanked by the initials of Christ and the Virgin Mary. The left cross-wing has an original three-light window on the ground floor and a four-light window on the first floor. The right return of the left cross-wing has a board door in an ashlar quoined moulded surround with a Tudor-arched head, a cross-window leading to the staircase, and a three-light window to the first floor. The right cross-wing terminates flush with the main house but incorporates a lower service-wing extension with external steps to the first floor and a three-light mullion window on the north end, alongside renewed openings to the left return. The interior includes, in the Dining Room, 17th-century oak panelling with frieze, moulded first-floor beams and joists. Adjacent to this, in the Sitting Room (possibly originally the parlour), is a small 17th-century or earlier stone fireplace. In the old kitchen, a large 17th-century fireplace features a chamfered segmental-arched surround with masons' marks. A circular stone staircase is located in the adjacent angle, with a cavity below, which may have served as a priest-hole, reflecting the Metcalfes' recusancy.