Arncliffe Hall

Imagine walking past Arncliffe Hall on a quiet sunny day, without any cars to spoil the view. A rare sight. This grand house, made of smooth ashlar stone, was built by John Carr around 1750 for Thomas Mauleverer. Inside, you would find some amazing Rococo plasterwork, featuring a figure of Plenty floating over Cleveland, represented by Roseberry Topping, and a cow and a cottage.

The Mauleverer family had owned the Arncliffe estate since the 15th century when Joan Colville married Sir William Mauleverer of Wothersome. His ancestor, Sir Richard Mauleverer, had come to England with William the Conqueror and was in charge of The Forests, Chases, and Parks north of the River Trent.

In January 1649, Sir Thomas Mauleverer, the first baronet, signed the death warrant of King Charles I as a commissioner of the High Court of Justice. During the Commonwealth period, he served as a Justice of the Peace in Yorkshire and died in June 1655. His son, Sir Richard Mauleverer, had fought for the Royalists and was thus allowed to inherit the title after the monarchy was restored.

History repeated itself in 1857 when William Mauleverer was left with only two daughters. One of them, Georgia Helen, married Douglas Brown. Their son, William, sold Arncliffe Hall in 1901 to Sir John Lothian Bell, Bart., and it has remained in his family ever since.