Melmerby Hall

First mentioned in 1307, Melmerby Hall, a Grade II listed manor, started as a defensive pele tower.

Once part of the Barony of Adam Fitz Swein; the earliest records from Edward II time show John de Denum, the owner, petitioned the king in the 1320s:

whereas he has a castle in Cumberladn called Melmerby Tower, which could be kept by a dozen men at arms, he has kept it until now and has often been assailed by the Scots to their great loss, and John's lands are so devastated there and elsewhere that he can no longer bear the expense. He craves help in the form of wages or otherwise until times change, because all the country around would suffer great loss peril and loss if it were taken through lack of garrison.

Past families who have been lords of the manor include in the 13th century the Wigtons, the Purvings, the Threlkelds from 1380 ,(they extended the tower in both the 17th and 18th centuries), then the manor passed on marriage to the Pattensons in about 1790.

Dr Alan Shelton-Agar bought the property in 1958. His three children, Charles, Richard, and Anne were locked in a legal battle over his will from 1985 to 2002. According to the Daily Telegraph despite her brothers’ objections the judge eventually ruled in favour of Dr Shelton-Agar's daughter giving most of the estate to Mrs Anne Rowley.

The property, which is furnished with antique furniture, has 9 bedrooms and is set in forested grounds of 20 acres through which a small tributary of the River Eden flows.

Entered through an arched gateway the property has several interesting features. There is a priest hole, a large Inglenook fireplace, and Roman barrel-vaulted cellars. In the garden are an archery lawn, a Victorian castle folly (now a children’s play area), and walled vegetable gardens. A red sandstone wall surrounds the grounds.

The property is now a holiday let and commands a price of up to US$6207 per week.