About Oldstead Grange

The history of our farmhouse and the surrounding countryside.

Oldstead Grange was founded by the monks from nearby Byland Abbey who gave the name "Grange" to indicate a farm they owned and worked. "Oldstead" indicates the original site occupied while the Abbey was being built.

The farmhouse at Oldstead Grange was built in the 17th century from the local soft red sandstone and has walls almost 2 feet thick. The plaster has recently been removed from the walls around the staircase to create a rich feature of the stone.

The fireplace in the guest sitting room was constructed more recently from cobbles which were gathered from our arable fields above the house. This room also features oak furniture made in the medieval style by the Robert Thompson Craftsmen of Kilburn.

Stone millstones which were once used to grind feed for the farm animals are built into the cobbled garden wall. On display in the garden is a collection of stone querns (examples of much more ancient hand grinding devices) which were unearthed by several generations of our family whilst ploughing the land.

In medieval times, the valley below was a fishing lake with the largest earth dam in England creating a 30 acre lake across the bottom of our land. Though the lake has long since been drained visitors are able to discover the dam, which, being lined with trees, is not readily obvious in the landscape. The farm spreads over several small hills and valleys beneath the steep forested edge of the Hambleton Hills. The higher points are about 400 feet above sea level and provide spectacular views across a broader (2 mile wide) valley to the Howardian Hills and out across the Vale of York to the Pennines, 30 miles in the distance.

There are several officially marked footpaths crossing the farm which lead over the fields to Byland Abbey, Coxwold and Kilburn. Our visitors are welcome to explore the farm to discover the history, nature and wildlife. Springtime reveals several acres of bluebell woods and clearings amongst the bushes covered in primroses and violets.

Peat lies under the boggy areas encouraging the growth of irises, marigolds, milkmaids and even orchids. The beck is fed by numerous springs which, with hard water and high levels of dissolved minerals, are surrounded by mounds of a stony deposit called tufa. Alongside the beck there are some rather unique bay willows which on warm summer evenings fill the air with a sweet scent. Wild duck and heron can be seen flying off the water along with an occasional glimpse of the family of deer which moves between the woods. When we are ploughing, a kestrel hawk often hovers and even follows between fields hoping for its prey to be disturbed.