Country estate developed by the Gascoigne family mainly in the C18, and early C19, with further later additions and alterations
LOCATION, AREA, BOUNDARIES, LANDFORM, SETTING The Parlington Estate is situated approximately 10.5 km north-east of Leeds city centre, between the villages of Barwick-in-Elmet and Aberford. The approximately 528 ha comprising the registered landscape is on rolling land that slopes gently downwards from the north to south to roughly the mid-point of the estate, and then rises again to the south. The landscape is set in rural surroundings and is bounded by Cock Beck to the west, Cattle Lane to the north, buildings of Aberford village and arable land to the east, Aberford Road (B1217) to the south east, and arable land to the south, beyond which is the M1 motorway. The landscape boundaries are largely formed by a mixture of stone walls, wrought iron and timber fencing, and hedging.
ENTRANCES AND APPROACHES There is one principal entrance to the north-east corner of the estate and a number of secondary entrances. Beyond the north-east corner of the estate Pikes Head Lodge on Cattle Lane (constructed in around 1800, attributed to John Carr of York, listed at Grade II) lies opposite the estate's late-C18 principal entrance, which is depicted on a plan of the estate dating to 1773. The entrance, which no longer forms part of the estate land and consists of wide curved, sandstone screen walls with gate piers, leads to a drive, the north-east end of which is now tarmaced. Set just inside the entrance on the west side is Aberford Lodge (late C19) and flanking the north-east end of the drive are two small late-C20 housing developments known as Beech View and Parlington Villas. The main entrance to the estate, and the north-east boundary of the registered area, is now approximately 78 metres south of the original main entrance and is marked by modern timber fencing and gates. It leads to an avenue that runs through grazing parkland and is lined mainly with beech trees. The avenue heads south-west and offers views south-east across the parkland to paddocks (also known as The Terraces) originally used by the Gascoignes' racehorses, and to a classical-styled eyecatcher lodge on Parlington Lane known as The Cottage (probably late C18, listed at Grade II). Views south-west are across the parkland to a wooded area known as the Wilderness (a fenced section of parkland immediately adjacent to the Wilderness is now in arable use), and views north beyond a hedge boundary are to the estate's arable land and the former site of estate dog kennels (now demolished) annotated on the 1st edition 1:10,560 Ordnance Survey (OS) map published in 1849. At the south-west end of the avenue just before its turn to the south is a Triumphal Arch erected by Sir Thomas Gascoigne in 1781-3 (designed by Thomas Leverton, listed at Grade II*) in support of the Whig cause of American Independence and as a show of opposition against Lord North, the Prime Minister at that time. Originally the drive continued beyond the arch for approximately 30 metres where it provided guests with still-extant views north-west to the estate's central areas of arable land and stallion pens (listed Grade II), before turning south and meandering through the wooded area known as the Wilderness. However, the avenue no longer passes underneath the arch and this section of the drive is now grassed. Instead the drive now turns and heads south just before the arch on a short C20 extension before re-joining the original route. The drive then forks, with one section continuing south on a Yew-lined route along the east side of a walled garden to the north of the former hall site and then to a former wagonway known as Parlington Lane. The other section of the drive heads south-west through the Wilderness and then north to Home Farm (listed Grade II).
To the south-east corner of the estate is what was probably the principal early-C18 entrance to the estate, at the site now occupied by a pair of late-C18 lodges known as Hookmoor Lodges (attributed to John Carr of York, listed at Grade II). The entrance is located off Bunkers Hill, part of the Great North Road from London to Edinburgh, and leads to a late-C18 drive/former coach road (now private) heading north-west through former parkland (now arable and meadowland) to Hangings Plantation and a bridge known as the Light Arch (listed Grade II) that carries the drive over Parlington Lane. The drive carries on north-west for a short distance through the Wilderness before swinging around to the south-west back to the site of the former hall. A plan of c1802 depicts another earlier drive/avenue (now removed) branching off from the late-C18 drive and then heading west and then north to the front of the hall. The drive is depicted as a dashed line and faint pencil line, suggesting that it was no longer in primary use at that time. Probable early-mid C18 platoons (clusters/groups of trees usually arranged in circle or square shapes and used to line avenues or form features within parkland) originally lined the south-east end of the drives, but have since been removed. The south-east drive provides views north-eastwards across the former parkland and neighbouring farmland towards Aberford Almshouses (erected by Mary Isabella and Elizabeth Gascoigne in 1843-5, listed at Grade II*), although later planting around the building now partly obscures it. Mid-C19 plans of the estate show that trees along the central section of the north-east side of the parkland, which had previously formed part of a shelter belt in the early C19, were removed, possibly to enable views to the almshouses; their elaborate Gothic architecture possibly intended to be an eyecatcher seen by visitors.
To the south of the estate off Aberford Road is a probable early-mid C19 lodge known as Wakefield Lodge (listed Grade II) that led to a drive (now removed) that joined with the early-C18 south-east drive.
To the north of the estate is a drive leading south off Cattle Lane to the estate's Home Farm and stallion pens. At the entrance to the drive is Barwick Lodge (early C19, listed Grade II). The northern end of the drive passing through Barwick Lodge Plantation is lined with copper beech trees.
To the north-west corner of the estate is Ass Bridge Lodge (late C19), which provides access to a track leading into Barwick Bank plantation and old quarries.
PRINCIPAL BUILDING Parlington Hall (now demolished) was located roughly to the centre of the estate in an area of lower ground that afforded views to higher parkland to the south, a walled garden to the north-west, farmland to the west, and the Wilderness to the north-east. A house is believed to have probably existed on the site when the estate was acquired by John Gascoigne in 1545. Parlington Hall was remodelled in the 1730s for Sir Edward Gascoigne and again in 1800 for his son, Sir Thomas. Further alteration and extension took place in the 1810s for Richard Oliver Gascoigne, with further alteration taking place later. Colonel Frederick Richard Thomas Trench-Gascoigne inherited the hall in 1905, but had already inherited nearby Lotherton Hall and made that estate his family home. Parlington Hall was thus abandoned and left to decay. The majority of the hall was demolished in 1952, along with the attached stables, leaving only part of the service wing remaining, which is now a private residence. An early-C19 former entrance to the hall off Parlington Lane depicted on the 1817 plan survives to the south-west with a ha-ha, low ramped coursed-limestone walls with rounded copings, and gate piers.
The surviving section of the hall is believed to have been part of the west service wing and a probable early-C19 addition by Watson & Pritchett of York that is depicted on an 1885 plan of the house with rooms including Colonel Gascoigne's room, housekeeper's room, steward's room, bake house, dairy, saddlery, and still room. The two-storey L-shaped building has multi-paned sash windows and a classical porch that was possibly re-used from demolished sections of the hall. The main part of the hall was located to the east of the building and the stables (added by Watson & Pritchett in around 1813) to the west. The site of the hall has been encroached upon by the Wilderness woodland to the north-east and south-west sides, obscuring the view west to farmland. However, the views to the south, north-west and north-east largely remain, albeit with increased vegetation.
WALLED GARDEN Located approximately 40 metres to the north-west of the hall site is a large late-C18 walled garden and an associated classically styled late-C18/early-C19 house known as The Gardens House; both are constructed of mellow brick. The walled garden, which could be viewed from the hall and also the branch of the north-east drive leading to Home Farm, is depicted on a plan of the estate dating to 1773 and also a c1802 plan where it is depicted on both as being divided into two rectangular sections. The Gardens House (probably originally the home of the estate gardener) and its flanking attached hot walls (hot walls incorporated small furnaces that were kept running to protect fruits from frost and to help them mature) form the north-west side of the walled garden. The house, its attached hot walls, and a bow-shaped wall enclosing a large semi-circular garden on the north-west side of the house are all listed in a single List entry at Grade II. The hot walls retain evidence of flues and furnaces, but the hot houses behind have been removed. The north-east and south-west walls of the garden survive, albeit with the south-east end of the south-west wall now truncated. The garden's south-east wall has been removed, along with a central dividing wall depicted on early maps.
WILDERNESS Surrounding the walled garden and site of Parlington Hall to the north-east, north-west and south-west sides is an area of mixed woodland known as the Wilderness containing walks and Yew-lined rides. Historic map and plan evidence suggests that the Wilderness was extended eastwards in the mid-late C19 to its present boundary through the incorporation of a large field flanking the south-east drive/coach road just to the north and west of the Light Arch. Set within the Wilderness approximately 130 metres to the south-west of the Light Arch is a probable late-C18 ice house (listed Grade II).
GARDENS Historic maps and photographs reveal that the immediate south-east side of the hall leading down to Parlington Lane was originally lawned with a few specimen trees, a fountain, and a sinuous-shaped pond in the south-west corner. Since the demolition of the majority of the hall the site has now been encroached upon by woodland of the Wilderness to the north-east and south-west sides, but an open area (now apparently used as a paddock) survives by the surviving section of the service wing with a large Cedar of Lebanon tree, which is depicted in a historic photograph of around 1880. The sinuous-shaped pond also survives, but is hidden from view within the expanded Wilderness.
NORTH-EAST PARKLAND To the north-east of the site of the hall is an area of grazing parkland that incorporates the main-entrance avenue/drive off Cattle Lane. The north-western half of the land is relatively flat and then slopes down to the south-east.
Set within the parkland and located approximately 450 metres north-east of the Triumphal Arch is what is variously thought to be a deer shelter or a viewing position for the hall's guests to watch the estate's horses in the paddocks below. The circular Gothick limestone structure (listed at Grade II) was constructed in 1802 to the designs of William Lindley of Doncaster. An estimate by Joshua (?) Naylor for the construction work details it as a 'temple' whereas a competing quote from Thomas Tilney & Son simple refers to it as a circular building. It is marked on a plan of the estate dating to 1817 as a 'cattle shed'. The structure, which has Gothick pointed arches, has lost its roof and is now ruinous. It is surrounded by a ring of trees depicted on early plans.
The Terraces, located approximately 145 metres to the south-east of the main-entrance avenue and set alongside the north-west side of Parlington Lane, is a set of three late-C18 paddocks. The paddocks retain limestone boundary walls (fragmentary in places) along their north-west, north-east and south-west sides, but have lost their interior dividing walls and shelters. The south-east side of the paddocks is formed by a high stone-revetted bank with substantial slab copings alongside Parlington Lane. Behind the north-west side of the paddocks is a line of beech and lime trees.
Most of the buildings from the estate's occupation by the Royal Army Ordnance Corps No 3 Vehicle Reserve Depot in the Second World War have been removed, although some concrete footings alongside the main avenue remain. Two tank inspection ramps/pits survive flanking the main avenue.
SOUTH PARKLAND/FORMER DEER PARK To the south and south-east of the former site of the hall is an area of former parkland known as Parlington Park that incorporates the late-C18 south-east drive from Hookmoor Lodges and is now arable land and meadowland, but remains clearly readable as former parkland and is an important component of the landscape. The land was a deer park from the 1730s and remnants of a ha-ha along the north-east and north-west edges survive. The land rises up to the south and sat atop the brow of the hill is the late-C18 classically-styled Park House (listed at Grade II, now a private residence) with flanking pavilions. The house has clearly been carefully placed with its tall symmetrical north elevation facing towards the hall and it most probably acted as an eyecatcher from the hall and/or the parkland; the view to the former site of the hall is now obscured by the expanded wilderness and tree growth. An 1817 plan of the estate shows that the parkland was planted with clumps of trees in circular and rectangular patterns, some of which survive but are overgrown. References to clumps planted in patterns also appear in the accounts of Sir Edward Gascoigne in 1737 that records the establishment of the deer park. Along the southern boundary alongside Aberford Road is the former parkland's historic shelter belt of woodland.
HOME FARM & STALLION PENS Approximately 440 metres north-west of the site of the hall is the estate's Home Farm (listed Grade II), which was constructed around 1813-1815. It has been suggested that the farm and farmhouse were possibly designed by John Carr, but it is probable that the farm was constructed to the designs of Watson & Pritchett of York. The farm is constructed of mellow brick and has a quadrangular courtyard plan, with the farmhouse located to the south-east end with curved screen walls to the front.
Located approximately 113 metres to the north-east of Home Farm is a series of four stallion pens dating to 1813 (listed Grade II). The pens are aligned north-south and are enclosed by coursed-limestone walls approximately eight feet high with rounded corners on the west side to each individual pen. Wide corner entrances with tall cylindrical, limestone gate piers exist to the north and south pens, with narrower west pedestrian entrances to the two middle pens with square gate piers and modern boarded doors. All of the piers have domed caps. The internal dividing walls also survive, along with gateways with cylindrical gate piers linking each pen. Historic plans suggest that each pen originally had a corner shelter, but these have since been lost, although their footprints are visible on satellite imagery.
WAGONWAY Parlington Lane runs across the estate from a junction with Long Lane in the south-west to a junction with Bunkers Hill (part of the former Great North Road) in Aberford at the north-east end, a distance of over two miles. The lane, which was possibly originally the main central axis of the medieval village of Parlington, was used as a horse-drawn wagonway in the C18 and early C19 to transport coal from the Gascoigne family's collieries in Garforth to a coal staith in Aberford on the Great North Road where it could be transported away. In 1837 the wagonway became part of the Aberford-Garforth Railway, which remained in use until 1924. The lane cuts straight through the hall's grounds less than 200m south of the site of the hall and separated the more formal garden from the parkland to the south. The central section of the lane is sunk out of view of the hall in a cutting several metres deep with high coursed limestone walls that enabled the movement of coal without interrupting views or disturbing the family. The cutting incorporates a tunnel approximately 75 metres long known as the Dark Arch (listed Grade II), which was constructed in 1813 by Richard Oliver Gascoigne to further conceal coal traffic on the wagonway. A section of approach wall to the south-west of the Dark Arch on the north side incorporates a memorial headstone (perhaps to one of the wagonway's horses) inscribed with the words 'DOWNEY/ FAITHFUL HONEST/ MERRY TRUE/ WE LOVED YOU AND/ WE MOURNED YOU TOO/ 1856'. Approximately 327 metres to the north-east of the Dark Arch along the cutting is a late-C18 limestone bridge known as the Light Arch (listed Grade II) that carries the south drive over Parlington Lane. Following the lane's conversion to the Aberford-Garforth Railway, the arch was raised to allow trains to pass underneath. The lane's north-eastern section has views north and north-west to the north-east parkland, paddocks (also known as The Terraces), and the main avenue and Triumphal Arch. Due to the topography of the land the north-eastern section of Parlington Lane is raised above the neighbouring parkland and paddocks and has a high stone-revetted bank on the north-west side with substantial slab copings. Towards the north-east end of Parlington Lane on the south-east side is a classical styled lodge known as The Cottage (probably late-C18, listed at Grade II), which acts as an eyecatcher viewed from the main north-east avenue.
QUARRYING Off to the south-east side of Parlington Lane are two limestone quarries, the largest one of which is approximately 165 metres north-east of the Light Arch with limestone entrance gate piers with domed caps in the same style as those to the stallion pens. Both are believed to have been operational in the late C18 and early C19, at the same time as the wagonway. Some of the stone abandoned in the quarry is believed to have come from the demolished hall. Further quarries are annotated on mid-C19 and early-C20 OS maps in some of the estate's plantations, including Hungerhills Plantation and Green Seats in the northern section, which have their own access paths off Cattle Lane, and also Barwick Bank plantation.
PLANTATIONS & ARABLE LAND Parlington Hollins is the largest plantation on the estate and is located to the south-west corner of the registered landscape, covering approximately 86 ha. Historic maps and plans of the estate show that Parlington Hollins was originally slightly smaller, but was extended northwards to meet Parlington Lane in the mid-C19. The plantation contains a network of historic tracks and rides, including a main east-west ride and north-south route, as well as some minor later additions. Parlington Hollins also contains evidence of the Gascoignes' coal extraction, with a number of circular depressions of former shafts or bell pits visible, and the line of the Aberford-Garforth Railway also survives as a pathway through the plantation running south-north from Garforth before heading north-east to join with Parlington Lane and on to Aberford.
A large ornamental lake was created in the south-west corner of Parlington Hollins in the mid-C19 by Mary Isabella and Elizabeth Gascoigne, but was drained in the late C20, although its original outline remains clearly visible on satellite imagery. An associated Lake Cottage to the east of the lake's south-west corner is believed to survive, but was not inspected.
A short spur to the north-east of Parlington Hollins is known as Bathingwell Plantation and contains a large pond. A small pond on the north side of Parlington Lane across from Bathingwell Plantation is now silted up, with ferns denoting its location. To the immediate north-east of the large pond is an altered and extended single-storey building known as Gamekeeper's Cottage, which was originally constructed in around 1815 to the designs of Watson & Pritchett of York. The architects also designed a large cross-shaped range of dog kennels to the rear, which have since been demolished.
Other smaller plantations are located in the northern section of the landscape and include Old Wood, Barwick Bank, Barwick Lodge Plantation, Cherry Strip, The Belt, Willowgarth Plantation, Hungerhills Plantation, Green Seats and Chantryhill Plantation.
The remaining areas of the landscape to the west and north of the former hall site are arable land. The arable land is integral to the understanding and appreciation of the designed landscape as a whole, its context and historical significance. The placing of the arable field system so close to the site of the main house and alongside the main-entrance avenue reflects the importance placed on agricultural interests by the Gascoignes and would have been a means of displaying social status as well as showcasing Sir Thomas Gascoigne’s and John Kennedy’s agrarian methods. Although some of the internal field boundaries have been removed, the extent of the late-C18/early-C19 field system survives and its general layout remains as it was originally created, enclosed and separated by plantations.
This list entry was subject to a Minor Enhancement on 21/06/2018