Eagle Hall and Gardens – A brief History

Eagle Hall’s history goes back at least to the 17th century.

It was originally the seat of the Taylor and White families who owned mineral rights and royalties in the area.  In 1698 Thomas White married Bridget, the only daughter and heiress of Richard Taylor MP for East Retford and Sheriff of the County of Nottingham (1699) and the estate came to the Whites of Wallingwells, Nottinghamshire.  The link can still be seen with the inserted stone “TW 1689” at Eagle Hall, and over an arch in the courtyard the two crests with eagles.

The mining interests of the family were evident in the land they owned. A smelt mill was operating on Street Lane at least since the late 1700s and a lease of the area in 1845 was on the condition that the old smelt mill was rebuilt.  Eagle Level was driven in 1825, by a new company the Eagle Company, who hoped to open up a rich mine on the Providence Vein.  It crossed the Providence Vein without finding anything but the company was not deterred and in 1837 it was recorded as being carried on towards the common and was expected to be an important mine forming a general drain for the Coldstones and Greenhow Hill Veins.  The work was hampered by ventilation problems in 1839 –1845 but was continued to cut the Sun Vein at a later date.  The exact date of abandonment is unknown but it was recorded as abandoned in a book by William Grainge, published in 1863.

In about 1860 the estate was split up; Sir Thomas Woolaston White held one fifth, the Rev. Taylor White one fifth, and Thomas F.A. Burnaby, of Newark-on-Trent, the other three fifths.  Thomas F.A. Burnaby bought the whole estate shortly after then sold half to Hanley Hutchinson of Grassfield House, Pateley Bridge in 1872.

The estate was bought for the Hon. Henry Butcher, 14th Viscount Mountgarret by his greataunt Mrs Rawson of Nidd.  The Hon. Butlers’ new house was designed by William Atkinson of York and built between 1876 and 1879 and placed on a similar footprint to the old house with the main entrance moved 90 degrees to the SW to overlook the wooded valley and the proposed larger lake.  In Victorian days the view from the house was more important than the view of the house from the grounds.  The public road was also moved further south to give move privacy to the house and formed a terrace between the house and the woodland garden.

Atkinson also designed the Ram House to supply water to Eagle Hall. In 1879 he was paid off the total account – £305.10s

In 1880 work was beginning on the damming of Sish Wash to create 2 lakes.  It took about 10 years for the Hon. Henry Butcher to create the garden.  Photographs in 1900 show a carefully laid out pleasure garden with a sinuous drive from the lodge on Street Lane with walks wandering through the woods and alongside the lakes.  Although the 14 acres of wooded garden are considered to be ancient woodland much was probably felled and replanted in the making of the garden. Several interesting species of trees were planted both for colour and variety.  Copper beeches and variegated hollies, cyprus and giant sequoia/wellingtonias were scattered throughout the grounds.  Little cascades and larger stepped cascades, simple bridges with cast iron posts and mown open areas planted with clumps of shrubs and heath added to the ambience of the area.  The woodland was left in a semi-natural style in keeping with the style of Robert Marnock (1800-1889) whose views had a major influence on some of the Victorian gardens of Yorkshire.

As a water supply, the Eagle Level was recorded as supplying water for Eagle Hall in 1875 as the possibility of its reopening was causing concern should the mine be reopened.  Its first use as a public supply was in 1909 when Pateley Bridge Rural District Council may an agreement with Viscount Mountgarret to take water for Pateley at a cost of £38 15s a year.  In the 1940s Harrogate Corporation began a search for extra water this culminated in a public enquiry in 1955.  The 1956 Water Act allowed 2.25 million gallons to be taken from the level with 200,000 gallons to go to compensation to feed the fish ponds and Sish Wash. This adit functioned as a major water supply to Harrogate and Pateley Bridge for the next 42 years.