Leyburn Hall

Leyburn Hall is a hall dating from around 1750, built for John Yarker. It is constructed with roughcast render, ashlar dressings, and a stone slate roof, and follows an E-plan layout.

The south elevation has a 1:1:5:1:1 bay arrangement. The central range features a plinth and rusticated quoins. The ground floor has four-pane sash windows in moulded surrounds, with the central window having elaborate ears and a cornice supported on consoles. A string course runs along this level. The first floor has sash windows with glazing bars in moulded surrounds. Above is a cavetto cornice and a blind parapet. Recessed bays 2 and 8 have quoined surrounds, a casement window to the left, a glazed door to the right, and sash windows with glazing bars above. The end pavilions have rusticated quoins and full-height round-arched openings containing tripartite windows with Doric half-columns below Diocletian windows. There are pediments with wrought-iron weather-vanes above these openings.

The north elevation has a 1:1:3:1:1 bay arrangement. The central range features a Doric portico with a six-panel door below a plain fanlight in a moulded surround with moulded imposts and a keystone. Sash windows are set in moulded surrounds, and there is a hipped roof. Bays 2 and 4 are recessed, each containing a Gibbs-style double-decker Venetian window, the ground floor section of which is partially blocked. Projecting end pavilion wings have two tall blind round-arched openings and a hipped roof.

The interior features an arcaded hall. The Drawing Room and Morning Room have fine doorcases and cornices; the Morning Room also contains panelling and a fine chimney-piece. The staircase hall has ionic columns and an imperial staircase with decorative plasterwork ceiling, possibly by Cortese. The west pavilion contains a very plain, full-height Music Room, which may have originally been a private chapel, reflecting the Yarker family’s recusant sympathies.