Ebberston Hall

Ebberston Hall is a summer pavilion, now a small country house, built in 1718 by architect Colen Campbell for William Thompson, MP for Scarborough. The wings were demolished in the early 19th century, the cupola was dismantled in 1905, and the ground floor was extended around 1935.

The main front is constructed of vermiculated sandstone with ashlar dressings and iron railings. The basement, also vermiculated sandstone with ashlar dressings and quoins, extends to form a terrace in front of the house. The ground floor is ashlar with chamfered vermiculated quoins and iron railings.

The entrance features an open staircase to the centre with obelisk torch standards at the foot and wrought iron holders. Semicircular niches with shell heads flank the staircase on either side. A second flight of steps leads to the central 8-panel door, which has pilaster jambs and a radial fanlight. The door surround is rusticated with chamfered voussoirs and a dropped keystone carved with a mask and William Thompson's monogram. Above this stands a pedimented Tuscan doorcase of attached columns banded with frosted rustication, with a bust of a faun in the tympanum. Twelve-pane sashes on either side have chamfered voussoirs and dropped keystones carved with masks and foliage. The doorcase entablature continues across the house front beneath a projecting cornice surmounted by a balustrade with vases at the corners. At each end of the terrace are two short flights of steps against the house, with no apparent purpose. An iron handrail on slender supports with knob finials rises up the main staircase, continues around the terrace, and up the short flights of steps.

The garden front is five bays wide on the ground floor and basement, with the three centre bays quoined to the basement and breaking forward. A blocked round arch stands at the centre, flanked by two 20th-century square lattice cross windows in plain surrounds with raised keystones. The three centre bays of the ground floor form a Tuscan loggia, distyle in antis, of which the openings were glazed probably shortly after occupation by William Thompson. Iron railings and a gate with a monogram to the centre opening remain. The uneven 15-pane sashes have timber architraves matching those to the stone flanking windows, with raised keystones. The loggia entablature continues across the width of the house beneath a projecting cornice and blind parapet with vases at the corners, all breaking forward over the centre bays. End stacks rise to the flat roof. A 20th-century extension is present but is not of special interest.

The interior decorative scheme has survived intact. The hall contains Doric doorcases to the main entrance and loggia, and features bolection-moulded panelling. The left front room has bolection-moulded panelling with fluted Corinthian pilasters flanking the chimneypiece and rear connecting door, which have richly carved capitals and entablature breaking forward over the pilasters. The room features enriched door, window, and alcove architraves and a coved ceiling. A square fireplace is set within a stone fasciated architrave. The right front room has bolection-moulded panelling with an enriched cornice featuring pairs of carved consoles, and enriched door and window architraves. A square fireplace stands in a stone bolection-moulded architrave, with an alcove cupboard to its right having piers and cornice broken back in four planes. The left rear room has bolection-moulded panelling with a coved cornice bearing carved timber enrichment. The loggia features stone-carved bolection-moulded panelling with fluted Ionic pilasters flanking panelled double doors and separating the windows. The doorcase, with a radial fanlight, has a lively keystone carved as the head of Silenus. Semicircular niches with dolphin keystones stand to left and right. A highly enriched entablature breaks over the pilasters beneath a coved, panelled ceiling.

The house forms an integral part of a watergarden, extensive remains of which survive to the north.