Fryston Park Details

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YORKSHIRE GARDENS TRUST

Fryston Hall park and garden

Report by Louise Wickham [October 2023]

1. CORE DATA

1.1 Name of site:

Fryston Hall park and garden

1.2 Grid reference:

SE 470 264

1.3 Administrative area:

Castleford Civil Parish, Wakefield district, West Yorkshire (modern), West Riding of Yorkshire

(historic)

1.4 Current site designation:

Not on the Historic England's Register of historic parks and gardens of special historic interest

2. SUMMARY OF HISTORIC INTEREST

The designed landscape around the former Fryston Hall was the creation of the owner, Richard

Slater Milnes, and the landscape designer, Thomas White and implemented between 1786 and

1804. During this time, over 380 acres of land were planted with mixed trees that encircled a

parkland covering 210 acres. While much degraded due to encroaching housing on the west, the

Ferrybridge power station to the south and more recently the new Al(M) bypass, large parts of the

parkland and its immediate plantations are intact.

Milnes had bought the estate at Water Fryston from Roger Crowle who had started developing it

before running out of funds. Crowle's father, George, had built the hall at the southern edge of the

village c. 1720 with gardens, pleasure grounds and a proto-parkland of about 27 acres. The rest of

the land at Water Fryston was unenclosed fields, meadows and commons until they were enclosed

in the early 1770s. The land though was poor and so Milnes, under the direction of White, turned

much of the land into plantations and parkland. These was kept by Milnes' successors until they sold

the estate in 1904-6. Gradually through the 20th century, parts of the designed landscape were lost

as first the hall was demolished in the 1930s and the land was sold to new owners for various

developments.

3. HISTORIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE SITE

3.1 Estate owners

The manors of Fryston with Wheldale [Queldale] and Ferry [Feria] were both held by llbert de Lacy

as tenant-in-chief in 1086, with the former's lord being Gerbodo. By the mid-12th century, Fryston

and Wheldale had been split into two manors with the former belonging to William de Fryston and

the latter to Robert de Wheldale. These two were thought to be the sons of Robert and grandsons of

Gerbodo. The Fryston manor passed to William's daughter and granddaughter (both called Alice). On

the latter's death in 1247, the property was again divided between her two daughters' sons, Richard

Waleys and William Vavasour.

In 1311, there was an exchange of lands between Richard Waleys and William Vavasour, where the

latter gained land in Fryston to add to the lands he already had in neighbouring Ferry. From this

point, Fryston and the expanding Ferry[bridge] became the domain of the Vavasour family of

Hazlewood. Wheldale however remained separate and in 1385, its manor and lands were

transferred from Adam de Roderfield to William Gascoigne [of Gawthorpe] and his brother, John. It

then descended with the Gascoigne family until the marriage of Margaret Gascoigne to Thomas

Wentworth. It was sold along with the estates of Ledston and Ledsham by William Wentworth, Earl

of Strafford to John Lewis in 1655 and continued with the latter's descendants who owned Ledston

Hall.

Sir Walter Vavasour had his estates sequestered during the Civil War and the manor of 'Water

Friston als Ferrie Friston' was bought from the Treason Trustees by John Rushworth and Gilbert

Crouch before 19 March 1653 (YAS 1896, 117). From this point, the ownership of Fryston and

Ferrybridge is unclear. By 1675 however, the manors of [Waterl Fryston, Ferry Fryston and

Ferrybridge and lands there were owned by George Crowle of Hull. Following his death and that of

his son, Roger, in 1696, the estate at Water Fryston was inherited by his grandson, George Crowle.

George died in 1744 and his son, William, held it until his death in 1772. As he had no direct heirs, it

was his brother, Roger, who took possession. In 1782, Roger Crowle was forced to put the estate up

for sale to pay off his debts (The Newcastle Chronicle, 21 September 1782 & London Gazette, 19

August 1783) and by 1788, it had been bought by Richard Slater Milnes.

When Milnes died in 1804, Fryston was managed by his widow until her death in 1835 when their

son, Robert Pemberton Milnes, took possession. He was succeeded by his son, Richard Monckton

Milnes, in 1858 and then his grandson, Robert Monckton Milnes, in 1885. Robert Milnes put the

estate up for sale in 1904 and the hall and immediate grounds were bought by the tenant, Sir John

Austin, shortly before the latter's death in 1906. Austin left Fryston Hall to his company run by his

two sons, who decided to sell it to the South Yorkshire Joint Poor Law Committee in 1914. By 1925, it

belonged to the Edenthorpe Estate Company, who divided it into 2 farms (Hall Farm and Fryston Hall

Farm) and sold them in the 1930s. During WW2, they were taken over by the West Riding War

Agricultural Executive Committee (Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer, 12 December 1942). Part

of the southern section of Fryston Hall Farm was sold to build the Ferrybridge power station in the

1960s and the area of the hall and its immediate grounds were purchased to build new Al(M)

motorway in 2000s.

Key owners responsible for major developments of the designed landscape and dates of their

involvement:

George Crowle c. 1721 —44

William Crowle 1744 - 72

Roger Crowle 1772 - 84

Richard Slater Milnes 1786 — 1804

Robert Pemberton Milnes 1835 - 58

Richard Monckton Milnes, [later Lord Houghton} 1858 — 85

Robert Monckton Milnes [later Crewe-Milnesl, Earl of Crewe 1885 - 1904

3.2 Early history of the site

The Domesday book lists two manors, Ferry and Fryston with Queldale [Wheldale], both having

llbert de Lacy as tenant-in-chief however each has its own lord of Hamelin and Gerbodo respectively.

Fryston and Queldale was the larger of the two having 5 ploughlands (c. 600 acres) of arable land

and 24 acres of meadow. Ferry had 4 ploughlands (c. 480 acres) of land and 3 acres of meadow.

Later documents would indicate that Fryston beck was the dividing line between the two manors,

however the settlements of Fryston/Wheldale and Ferry (later Ferrybridge) were always linked as

the parish church served both communities.

When Alice Haget died in 1247, her estate included land in both Fryston and Ferry of 200 acres of

arable land and 26% acres of meadow in her 'demesne' (own occupation) and 225 acres of land that

was tenanted (YAS 1892, 8). There is however no indication of a 'capital messuage' or manor house

at Fryston at this time. Richard [le] Waleys and William Vavasour, descendants of Alice, exchanged

land in 1311 with Waleys giving Vavasour 4 messuages, 60 acres of land, 101/2 acres of meadow and

two parts of a certain pasture (called Colmancroft and Holme) in 'Friston-near-Ferrybridge' (WYASL

WYL245/896). By this stage, Ferry[bridge] had now become the more important settlement. The

Subsidy Rolls (poll tax) of 1379 lists the two together under 'Fryston' with Wheldale listed

separately. Judging from the amounts paid and descriptions for Fryston, most are tradespeople such

as Henry de Bubwith (a smith), John Dicas & wife (a barker or tanner), who both paid Is. The

exception was William de Everingham of Fery and Frankelayn his wife, who paid 1 Id and would have

been a tenant farmer of the manor (YAS 1881, 43).

These manorial lands were later called the 'Dusthall' estate and a survey of its boundary conducted

in 1592, showed it included some lands in Fryston, north of Fryston beck and in 'Old Field' (WYASL

WYL245/983). It is not clear where the manor house was but from the survey, it is likely to have

been in or near Ferrybridge. The hearth tax of 1673 listed a 'Mr Crowle' having an unoccupied

property in Ferrybridge/Ferry Fryston of two hearths. This was presumably George Crowle, the Hull

merchant who two years later was in possession of 'the manor or lordship of Water Fryston Ferry

Fryston and Ferrybridge and all their messuages cottages lands tenements and hereditaments with

the appurtenances there' (PA HL/PO/PB/1/1696/8&9W3n44). These were mortgaged by Crowle and

his son, Roger, to Miles Dodding of Conishead (near Ulverston), William Kirkby, Curwen Rawlinson

(of Cark Hall, Cartmel) and Edward Wilson the younger on 30 June 1675 to provide an income for

Roger and his intended wife, Eleanor, daughter of Edward Wilson of Dallam Tower, Westmorland

(ibid). There is no evidence that Roger and Eleanor Crowle ever lived at Fryston as their three

children were baptised in Hull (Eleanor, 12 January 1676) and York (William, 26 May 1681 and

Thomas, 14 June 1682).

By Roger Crowle's death in December 1696, he had been declared insane for over 12 years and had

left no will. Due to the agreement above enacted on 23 March 1697, his widow was to receive €120

pa from the Fryston estate (ibid). She died though in May of that year and so it devolved to their

eldest son, William, with provision made for his two siblings according to the private Act of

Parliament (ibid). William was about 16 at the time, so would have come into his inheritance about

1702 but the first evidence of him living at Fryston was the baptism of his daughter, Dorothy, at

Ferry Fryston church on the 5 February 1722. He had married his first cousin, Eleanor, on 15 May

1718 in Hull so he may have been residing there. Therefore the exact date of the construction of

Fryston Hall, shown on the 1726 map (WYASL WYL156/Map/45, Figure 1), is unknown. It is not

depicted on John Warburton's map of c. 1720, referred to in his journal from 1718-9 (YAS 1900, 16-

84) or in Samuel Buck's drawings of Yorkshire houses at the same time (Hall 1979). A rough sketch of

1739 showed it was a substantial building at this time (Figure 2), so it is likely to have been

constructed between 1719 and 1721.

The hall was positioned at the southern end of the small settlement of Water Fryston with a

courtyard to the west and a walled garden to the east with an avenue of trees leading from it to the

river by 1726 (Figure 1). To the south was an area called 'Hall Flatt' of just under 12 acres, which

together with the portion of 'The Firth' of just under 8 acres and 'Hall Garth' and 'Nuns Garth'

formed an area of open ground or proto-parkland covering 27 acres (WYASL WYL156/MX/446). To

the west of the hall, across the road, was a further garden of h acre plus two foldyards covering %

acre (ibid). In total, George Crowle had 125% acres 'in hand' with a further 616 acres of land

occupied by tenants. Of the 1080 a Ir 37p in the 'Manor of Water Fryston', common land accounted

for a further 235 acres and the rest (103 acres) was owned by 3 freeholders and the Church (ibid).

Most of the fields were unenclosed at this point and this was still largely the case 40 years later, as

the map (Figure 3, WYASL WYL156/MX/45) was a copy made in 1766 for Lord Pollington (later Earl of

Mexborough), one of the freeholders. William Crowle, who had inherited the estate from his father

in 1744, though wanted to improve his lands (WYASL WYL156/MX/500). On 28 February 1758,

Crowle had made an agreement with Pollington to rent the latter's lands in Water Fryston for 40

years for an annual rent of f 70 (WYASL WYL156/MX/462). Pollington though accused Crowle in 1763

'soon after signing the said agreement...[caused the lands that lay intermixed] to be inclosed and to

be connected and let together and discriminately with [Crowle's] lands' (ibid). A new agreement was

needed so that 'their several estates & properties may be clearly & effectively specified bounded and

ascertained' and that Pollington would join Crowle in applying for an Act of Parliament to facilitate

the enclosure of the common grounds (ibid).

William Crowle and Lord Pollington came to an agreement in 1767 (WYASL WYL156/MX/486).

William Crowle died in 1772 and his brother, Roger, inherited the estate. Between 1772 and 1775,

61 acres were exchanged between Roger Crowle and Earl of Mexborough (WYASL WYL156/MX/54),

thus completing the agreement first discussed in 1763. By the time of the survey in 1775 (SA

CM/1620), the process of enclosure had been completed and the area known as Ferry Fryston now

covered 1362 acres with the additional 282 acres being from land in Queldale [Wheldalel. Roger

Crowle held 1266% acres with the following areas forming a new designed landscape around the

hall:

Hall, courtyard, East Lawn & old road

West Lawn, plantation & stableyard

Brewhouse, Garden, Back court

Nursery next to West Lawn

Plantation north of West Lawn

57a 22p

25a 3r 6p

2r 29p

Ir 21p

13p

The layout shown in Figure 4. The rest of the land were fields with the remaining 88 acres owned by

Lord Mexborough (c. 63 acres), Francis Ellerby (c. 5 acres) and the Church (glebe land, c. 20 acres)

(ibid).

Crowle also had plans to make money from the estate and started sinking pits near Wheldale in

1774, on land rented from the Ledston estate. This however led to financial troubles and Crowle put

the estate up for sale on 21 September that year that was listed as:

'The valuable and extensive freehold manor of Fryston with Ferrybridge...together with the Mansion-

house, Offices, Stables, Gardens, Plantations etc and 1252 acres of land' (Newcastle Chronicle).

By this time, Crowle claimed that Water Fryson now covered 1400 acres, exclusive of c. 500 acres in

Queldale (WYASL WYL156/MX/561). A survey was conducted in 1783 (SA CM/1615a), which showed

that there had been no increase in Crowle's landholding. This presumably was done after 19 August

that year, as an order had come from the High Court ordering Roger Crowle to sell his estate by

November to repay his creditors (London Gazette).

3.3 Chronological history of the designed landscape

3.3.1 1786-1804

Richard Slater Milnes acquired the estate sometime between 1786 and 1788 and permanently

moved to the estate in 1790 (Pope-Hennessy 1949, 7). In 1786, he engaged the landscape designer,

Thomas White and paid him E300 on 8 May of that year (Turnbull and Wickham 2022, 188) probably

for a plan and initial work on the layout. On 2 February 1789, White wrote of 'decorating his

[Milnes'] place agreeable to a design, drawn by your humble servant' (RSA PR/MC/103/10/415) but

this plan has not survived. Between 1 October 1786 and 1 May 1788, 394,300 mixed trees were

planted on 94 acres of land (SAT 1791, 9 - 13) and consisted of:

145,000

72,500

50,000

40,000

45,000

600

Larch

Scotch firs

Ash

Sycamore

Elm

Oak

600 

30,000 

10,000 

400 

200 

Spruce firs 

Birch 

Mountain ash 

Weymouth pine 

Horse chestnut 

Most were 2 year old trees and Milnes described the ground as 'so extremely bad, and the soil so 

very thin, that the only crop worth cultivation was Saint-foin [Onobrychis viciifolia, a forage crop]. 

The plantation [though] has flourished' (ibid, 10). The 1783 survey listed Low Mill Leys and Beck 

Close planted with saintfoin and the adjacent Clay Close as poor (SA CM/1615a). This then was the 

part of the later 'Park Plantation' (Figure 5) as Milnes relates that it is 'bounded on one side by a sunk 

fence fourteen feet wide, the wall of which is four feet and a half high, with a sod on the top a foot 

and a half thick; it is in the form of a crescent' (SAT 1791, 11). He also commented that he 'followed 

the course of the [existing field] hedges, and by that means have saved the great expence of new 

fences' (ibid). 

As the planting was successful, Milnes continued to expand the plantations and between 24 June 

1788 and 24 June 1789 planted 200,000 larch and 20,000 English Elms (SAT 1790, 9 - 12) under the 

direction of White and his foreman, James Mann (ibid). White also noted that he had 'contracted 

with Mr. Milnes for the planting two hundred and twenty-five acres of land with different trees' 

(ibid), so this second planting covered 135 acres. White was paid €100 directly on 22 February 1790 

and James Mann received almost €450 between 1786 and 1794 for expenses (Turnbull and Wickham 

2022, 188). White may have continued to plant for Milnes until the early 1800s as he periodically 

inspected the state of the trees, perhaps replacing lost ones and also extending the plantations 

receiving El 7 on 7 November 1795 and E 79 IOS on 12 August 1802 (ibid). 

The public footpath north from Ferrybridge to the hall though still was in place in 1800, when Milnes 

applied for its removal (WYASW QS1/140/4). A diversion map (ibid, Figure 6) shows the layout in and 

around the hall at this time. By 1804, it is likely that the layout seen on the later tithe map (Figure 5, 

TNA IR 30/43/157) was largely in place with the parkland covering about 210 acres and the extensive 

plantations to the west of just over 381 acres (TNA IR 29/43/157). White's plan probably also 

included the pleasure grounds to the north of the hall (area no. 461 on Figure 5), a new walled 

kitchen garden (area no. 462), an orchard (area no. 499) to the north of it and possibly the gardens 

(area no. 463) just south of it. This was in addition to the existing kitchen garden (area no. 468). 

Fryston Lodge (Cottage) that was situated on the public road from Ferrybridge just west of the 

church was also likely to have been part of the design, as the road continued north to the hall at this 

time (WYASW QS1/140/4). The sketch map from 1800 (ibid) marks a 'new coach road' going west 

that but it is not clear where this went as later maps do not show this. 

3.3.2 1804-90 

Milnes died suddenly in 1804 aged 45 and he left most of his property, including Fryston, to his 

widow for her lifetime (Pope-Hennessy 1949, 7). However the finances were precarious (ibid) and 

she sought ways to save money including getting a section of the public road from Castleford to 

Ferrybridge that went via Water Fryston closed in 1813 (PA HL/PO/PB/1/1813/53G). As it ran 

through Fryston park, Mrs Milnes was responsible for its upkeep. In June 1819, she sold just over 64 

6

acres to the Earl of Mexborough (WYASL WYL156/MX/563). Divided into 11 lots, they were mainly at

the northern end of the village where the Earl already had land (WYASL WYL156/MX/54).

By 1829, there were still financial problems and the entire Fryston estate was put up for sale (The

Leeds Intelligencer, August 27). Whether it was withdrawn or failed to sell is not clear but Robert

Pemberton Milnes secured it for the family in 1831 (Pope-Hennessy 1949, 80). After his mother's

death in 1835, he continued to live at Bawtry Hall, only returning to Fryston in 1847 when he

undertook major renovations of the hall (Pope-Hennessy 1951, 108-9). The first edition 6" OS map

surveyed between 1845 and 1849 (Figure 7) shows some of the few changes R. P. Milnes had

introduced, including the conversion of North Ings meadow next to the river into a nursery area and

the expansion of the small fishpond to south to just over an acre and the expansion of the main

kitchen garden to the east.

The plantations, put in by his father, had probably survived as the land was not suitable for anything

else. 'In 1850 Mr. Pemberton Milnes had sown broom in all the vacant spaces of these woods: 'It will

give them quite a savage aspect' he wrote happily to Richard, adding that the land under plantation

at Fryston was 'absolutely worthless, except for wild grapes & broom & gorse" (ibid). There was 'no

flower garden to speak of [in 18511, though an 'unusually large' area [was] given over to vegetables

and fruit' (Pope-Hennessy 1951, 3). R. P. Milnes' daughter-in-law later improved the pleasure

grounds by planting 'lavender beds, borders of stocks, nasturtiums and sweet peas (ibid, 110-1).

With the death of R.P. Milnes in 1858, his son, Richard Monckton, inherited and Fryston became a

focus for entertaining guests, particularly after his elevation to the peerage in 1863. While he may

have 'had developed a sort of generalised, landscape-gardener's interest in the appearance of the

portions of the Fryston estate near the Hall — asking his father to have the beeches in the Upper Park

disbranched to form an avenue, suggesting that any trees felled should be replaced by deodars

[Cedrus deodara] and the other newly fashionable oriental species (Pope-Hennessy 1951, 110), other

financial matters became more important. Like Roger Crowle, he wanted to exploit what was below

ground and by 1873, had formed the 'Fryston Coal Company'. In the former area of Wheldale, a

village 'New Fryston' was built to house the workers. Little had changed at Fryston by 1885 and the

death of R. M. Milnes, with the exception of the building of three entrance lodges and a double

avenue of lime trees south from the hall for about half a mile.

3.3.3 Later history

In 1894, Robert Monckton Milnes inherited the Crewe estate from his uncle and changed his name

to Crewe-Milnes. He decided to permanently live in Cheshire and in 1904, the Fryston estate was put

up for sale (WYASW C162). Lot 1 included the hall, gardens, plantations and parkland covering 1373

acres (ibid). By this stage, some of the woodland had been reduced from 381 acres in 1838 (T NA IR

29/43/157) to 337 acres (WYASW C162). It failed to sell at auction but two years later, it was bought

by Sir John Austin who had been a tenant, though he died on 30 March that year. Left to his

company run by his two sons, it was sold to South Yorkshire Joint Poor Law Committee in 1914. It

was meant to be a place for mental patients but the scheme was not a success and in 1925, the

Committee set up to run it was dissolved.

It was then sold to a Doncaster syndicate called the Edenthorpe Estate Company (Penistone,

Stockbridge and Hoyland Express, 22 January 1926). In 1930, 'Fryston Hall Farm' that included the

plantations and parkland was put up for sale by Edenthorpe (Yorkshire Post and Leeds Intelligencer,

1 March). By this stage, the hall was empty and in disrepair, so it was demolished in 1931. During

WW2, it was taken over by the West Riding War Agricultural Executive Committee (Yorkshire Post

and Leeds Intelligencer, 12 December 1942). By the 1950s, housing from neighbouring Castleford

had been built on the western plantations (Figure 8). Part of the southern section was sold to build

the Ferrybridge power station in the 1960s (Figure 9) and the new part of the Al near the M62 now

runs through the area of the hall and its immediate grounds.

4. SITE DESCRIPTION

4.1 LOCATION

Fryston Hall is 2.5 miles (4km) northeast of Pontefract and 11 miles (18km) southeast of Leeds.

4.2 AREA

The designed landscape of Fryston Hall at its greatest extent at the beginning of the 20th century

covered c. 650 acres (263 ha).

4.3 BOUNDARIES

The eastern boundary was formed by the River Aire from SE 479 257 to SE 468 271, the start of the

northern boundary. This followed the northern edge of the village and then Park Plantation (later

Whin Covert) until it reached Upper Oyster Close/Green Quarry Plantation when the boundary was

formed by Wheldale Lane from SE 460 268 to SE 452 267. The western boundary continued along

the western edge of Green Quarry Plantation and High Royds Wood to SE 449 251. The southern

extent starts at the bottom of High Royds Wood and continues on the southern part of Old Field

Plantation and Park Plantation until Fryston Lodge. It then follows the road to Fryston Cottage and

SE 476 253 before going along the southern edge of the park between SE 474 257 and SE 476 258

and the northern part of Willow Garth to the river.

The underlying geology of Fryston Hall's designed landscape is Dolostone (Cadeby Formation). This is

overlain with sedimentary superficial deposits that gives rise to freely draining lime-rich soils and

moderate fertility.

4.5 SETTING

Fryston Hall park and garden is in the Wakefield Local Landscape Character Area of 'Limestone

Escarpment'. This is defined by its geology as a limestone ridge runs down from north to south

through this area, which is relatively flat in the middle but dips down from west to east. The former

Fryston Hall itself lay at 17m AOD with the land rising to the west to a height of between 32m to

63m OD. To the south and north of the hall, the land is largely flat and to the east, the land falls

away slightly to c. 13m AOD at the river.

4.6 ENTRANCES AND APPROACHES

4.6.1 Lodge (later Fryston Cottage)

Built before 1838, this was on the old road from Ferrybridge and was perhaps part of White's plan. It

was demolished in 1960s when the power station was built.

4.6.2 Fryston Lodge

Built between 1845-9 and 1890, this replaced the earlier lodge to the south and led directly into the

parkland, with the carriageway continuing north to the hall.

4.6.3 Wheldale Lodge

Built between 1846-8 and 1888, this provided an entrance from New Fryston village. The

carriageway from here went due south through Green Quarry Plantation and then due east through

the Park Plantation before entering the parkland and joining up with the route in from the south.

4.6.4 Keeper's Lodge (later School Park Lodge)

Built between 1892 and 1904, it was demolished in the mid-20th century when the housing estate

was expanded. The carriageway from here went due north through High Royds Wood before

meeting up with the route from Wheldale Lodge.

4.6.5 Gatepiers [Grade 11- NHLE 1211950]

The HE lists these as early to mid-18th century. They are located at SE 46940 26539, c. 180m north

from the former hall and may have been the entrance to the pleasure grounds from the village road.

4.6.6 Gatepiers [Grade 11 - NHLE 1289753]

The HE lists these as 19th century. They are located at SE 46967 26420, 20m south of the stables and

were probably the entrance to the stables from the carriageway through the park.

4.7 PRINCIPAL BUILDINGS

4.7.1 Former Fryston Hall

Built in the early 18th century, it was remodelled in the 1780s and demolished in 1931.

4.7.2 Stables [Grade Il-NHLE 11355411

Built between 1726 and 1775, they are 100m northwest of the former hall.

4.8 GARDENS AND PLEASURE GROUNDS

There was a small walled garden on the eastern side that was built at the same time as the hall c.

1719-21 and covered c. 1 acre. Leading from it to the river was a double avenue of trees (Figure 1).

Surrounding it was the 'Hall Garth' of just over acres that was likely to be a pleasure ground. By

1775, the area 'in hand' near the hall had expanded to c. 57 acres and had been renamed 'East

Lawn' (SA CM/ 1620), with the 'West Lawn' of c. 25 acres to west of hall (ibid). These may have been

a mix of proto-parkland and pleasure grounds.

Following White's plan, most of the area to the south of the hall that had been part of the 'East' and

'West' Lawns were incorporated into 'Low Park'. The area to the north of the hall that had previously

been part of the village was laid out as pleasure grounds and by 1838 covered acres, including

the hall and stables (TNA IR 29/43/157). Within this area, there were freestanding greenhouses and

by 1849, the plantation to the west and part of the old West Lawn were incorporated into the

pleasure grounds (Figure 11). This latter area was later named 'The Verandah' and with the removal

of the vicarage, the area now covered over 20 acres including the walled kitchen garden by 1890

(Figure 12).

4.9 KITCHEN GARDEN

The first kitchen garden, measuring 1/2 acre was built at the same time as the hall c. 1719-21 and was

to the west of the hall across the public road (Figure 1). This had been removed by 1775 and a new

garden of a similar size was in place just north of the hall (Figure 6). This continued to function as a

productive area until the break-up of the estate in the early 20th century. By 1838, an additional

walled kitchen garden (1% acres) and adjacent orchard (2% acres) had been built in the northern part

of the village (Figure 11). These may have been part of White's plan. As noted above, neither of

these two areas had any glasshouses with these built in the pleasure grounds (Figure 12).

4.10 PARK AND PLANTATIONS

4.10.1 Fryston Park

Put in as part of the plan by White between 1786 and 1790, it was divided into Low Park (121a) and

Top Park (89a) by 1838. The western part is now a golf course and the eastern section has the Al(M)

now running through it.

4.10.2 Park Plantation

The first part was planted between 1 October 1786 and 1 May 1788 to a design by White. 394,300

mixed trees were planted on 94 acres of land. By 1838, it had grown to 130a and later included 24%

acres of the former Old Field Plantation. In the late 19th century, the northern section of 28 acres

was renamed 'Whin Covert' and used for game shooting. It remains largely intact with just some

southern parts missing.

4.10.3 Green Quarry Plantation

Planted between 1786 and c. 1804, this covered 96a by 1838. Extant until mid-20th century, it is

now covered by housing with the exception of the extreme northern section now named 'Well

Wood' (17% acres).

4.10.4 High Royds Wood

Planted between 1786 and c. 1804, this covered 81a by 1838. Extant until mid-20th century, it is

now covered by housing.

4.11 WATER

The estate is next to the River Aire, which forms the eastern boundary. In the southeast of the park

was a small fishpond of just over 1 acre.

5. REFERENCES 

Books and articles 

Hall, l. 1979. Samuel Buck's Yorkshire Sketchbook. Wakefield, Wakefield Historical Publications. 

Pope-Hennessy, J. 1949. Monckton Milnes, the years of promise 1809-1851. London, Constable. 

Pope-Hennessy, J. 1951. Monckton Milnes, The Flight of Youth 1851-1885. London, Constable. 

SAT 1790. Transactions of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, 

Volume 8. London, T. Spilsbury & Sons. 

SAT 1791. Transactions of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, 

Volume 9. London, T. Spilsbury & Sons. 

Turnbull, D and Wickham, L. 2022. Thomas White: redesigning the northern British Landscape. 

Oxford, Windgather Press. 

YAS 1881. Rolls of the Collectors in the West-Riding of the Lay-Subsidy (Poll Tax) 2 Richard ll., 

Wapentake of Osgodcrosse. Yorkshire Archaeological Journal 6, 1-44. 

YAS 1892. Yorkshire inquisitions of the reigns of Henry Ill and Edward l, Part I (1241-83), Record 

Series Vol. 12. Leeds, Yorkshire Archaeological Society. 

YAS 1896. Yorkshire Royalist Composition papers and Proceedings of the Committee for 

Compounding Vol Ill, Record Series Vol. 20. Leeds, Yorkshire Archaeological Society. 

YAS 1900. Journal in 1718-19 of John Warburton. Yorkshire Archaeological Journal 15, 16-84. 

Primary sources 

Parliamentary Archives (PA) 

HL/PO/PB/1/1696/8&9W3n44 Private Act, 8 & 9 William Ill, c. 24 regarding estate of the late Roger 

HL/PO/PB/1/1813/53G 

Sheffield Archives (SA) 

Crowle, 23 March 1697 

An Act for shutting up a Road and Footpath, leading from Castleford 

to Ferrybridge, in the County of York. 15 April 1813. 

CM/1615a 

CM/1620 

Survey and Valuation of Roger Crowle's estate at Fryston, 1783 

Survey of Roger Crowle's estate at Ferry Fryston, 1775 

The National Archives (TNA) 

IR 29/43/157 Tithe apportionment for Ferry Fryston, 15 March 1838 

IR 30/43/157 Tithe map of Ferry Fryston, 1840 

Royal Society of Arts (RSA) 

PR/MC/103/10/415 

Letter from Thomas White to Samuel More, 2 February 1789 

11

West Yorkshire Archive Service, Leeds (WYASL) 

WYL156/Map/45 

WYL156/MX/54 

WYL156/MX/446 

WYL156/MX/462 

WYL156/MX/486 

WYL156/MX/500 

WYL156/MX/561 

WYL156/MX/563 

WYL245/896 

WYL245/983 

Map of the Manor of Water Fryston 1726 (copy 1766) 

Plan of an Estate at Water Fryston divided into lots for sale, 1819 

Field books of Water Fryston, 1726 

Draft agreement between Lord Pollington and William Crowle to exchange 

land in Fryston, 1763 

Copy of deed of exchange between Earl Mexborough and William Crowle of 

Fryston Hall of closes of land in Water Fryston, nd (c. 1766 — 1774) 

Letters from Joshua Wilson to William Crowle re lands in Fryston, 1757 

Papers relating to tithes and rents in Water Fryston, 1782 

Sale particulars of an estate at Ferry Fryston, 10 June 1819 

Feoffment from Richard le Walays to Lord William Vavasour of messuages 

and land in Friston-near-Ferrybridge, 2 Aug 1311 

Survey of Ferry Fryston [Dusthall estate], 1592 

West Yorkshire Archive Service, Wakefield (WYASW) 

C162 

QS1/140/4 

Maps 

Sale catalogue for Fryston Hall estate, 1904 

Plan of roads near Fryston Hall (1800) for diversion of footpath, Apr 1801 

Ordnance Survey 6" 1st edition, surveyed 1845 to 1849, published 1852 

Ordnance Survey 25" 1st edition, surveyed 1890, published 1892 

Ordnance Survey 6" revised edition, surveyed 1954 to 1965, published 1967 

Ordnance Survey [2%"] edition, revised c. 1969, published c. 1971 

12

List of Figures 

Figure 1 — Close-up of 1726 map showing the newly built Fryston Hall and surrounding gardens. 

WYAS Leeds (WYL156/Map/45). Note north is to the right. 

Figure 2 — Sketch of Fryston Hall by Archibald Dickson, 2 February 1739/40. Yale Center for British 

Art (ref. NA7620.D53 D73 1736+), public domain 

Figure 3 — Map of manor of Water Fryston copied from map of 1726, 1766. WYAS Leeds 

(WYL156/Map/45). Note north is to the right. 

Figure 4 — Layout of Fryston Hall and immediate grounds from 1775 survey (SA CM/1620). 

Figure 5 — Tithe map for Fryston and Ferrybridge, 1840 showing the plantations and parkland. O The 

National Archives, IR 30/43/157. 

Figure 6 — Plan for the diversion of footpath through Fryston Park. West Yorkshire Archive Services, 

Wakefield (QS1/140/4). 

Figure 7 — Fryston Hall estate on Ordnance Survey 6" 1st edition, surveyed 1845 to 1849, published 

1852. National Library of Scotland CC-BY. 

Figure 8 — Fryston Park estate showing housing on west from Ordnance Survey 6" revised edition, 

surveyed 1954 to 1965, published 1967. National Library of Scotland CC-BY. 

Figure 9 — Fryston Park estate showing development of Ferrybridge power station to south from 

Ordnance Survey [21/2"] edition, revised c. 1969, published c. 1971. National Library of 

Scotland CC-BY. 

13

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Figure 3 — Map of manor of Water Fryston copied from map of 1726, 1766. W YAS Leeds 

(WYL156/Map/45). Note north is to the right. 

16

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Farms 

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Figure 9 — Fryston Park estate showing development of Ferrybridge power station to south from 

Ordnance Survey [2%"] edition, revised c. 1969, published c. 1971. National Library of 

Scotland CC-BY. 

22