WE WON!!!!!!!!!

 The Gatehouse at Markenfield was nominated for two awards at the recent Ripon Civic Society awards. It received the Craftsman's Shield - awarded to Mick Burniston - for the joinery work to the staircase and was Highly Commended in the Best Restoration award.

Those of you who have been visiting Markenfield for a while will know just what a transformation has taken place within the Gatehouse in the past two years - from a dark, dank lobby with a ladder rising to a hole in the floor above to a bright new staircase than can truly be called a work of art!

The work has also created a much-needed loo that can be used by the visiting public, a place for meetings to take place... and a much, much more pleasant working environment for yours truly!

Mop-up Mondays and all things Swan-like

It's been a busy week so far at the Hall, with the sole Cygnet emerging out of the nest and on to the moat just in time for the Hall's very first Mop-up Monday.


The Swans - Sam and Cinders - thankfully made their nest somewhere quite sensible this year. In past years eggs have been found in the Farm Buildings, in the doorway to the Gatehouse and even in the middle of a field - it was all starting to get a bit "Jemima Puddle Duck". So it was to our great relief when they decided to nest on the side of the moat, but well away from passing tractors and members of the general public (who's interested stares are not always appreciated by the over-protective Sam). A number of eggs were laid over a number of days, but the sole-Cygnet is all that emerged. Hmmm... Solo the Swan - it has a ring to it!


Mop-up Mondays were first dreamed up to try and offer a way of visiting the Hall out of season. There were a few constraints - we needed to know how many were going to turn up so that we could control parking, and when they were going to arrive; so we hit on the idea of a pre-bookable guided tour. We were a bit worried at first about covering costs, but once we hit the 34 mark we realised that we'd had a potentially very good  idea and that tickets were in demand. So much in demand that we have had to lay on another Mop-up day on Monday 7 November and we've already sold 3 tickets!

The Holiday Blues

What has happened to the weather? The summer holidays may well be over, but summer too? Surely not!


The photograph (right) was taken on the August Bank Holiday Monday, and that could well have been the last time that the sun was seen here at the Hall.


Thankfully it has no impacted opening activities as a massive "spring clean" has been underway for the past few weeks and the Hall has been closed to groups. We did however play host to two delightful musicians yesterday as part of the Ripon International Festival. The weather was largely kind to those making their way across the Courtyard - but not so kind to the cars parked in the paddock that will be taking a little bit of Markenfield away with them in the form of mud!

One swan a-nesting

Times when the swans head for dry land are always exciting times at the Hall, and this time is no exception. The female has chosen a small patch of land at the west side of the moat - out of the way of vehicles and people - to make a nest and lay her eggs - and now she is sitting on the nest and its precious contents.


The swans produced two successful broods back in 2009 but despite their best efforts they have been unsuccessful ever since. There was a time at the beginning of the year when we were finding eggs all over the place - in fields, in farm buildings and even in the doorway to the Gatehouse. However, a much more sensible place has now been found and i's simply a case of "watch this space"!

Game, Set, Match Markenfield

You can never quite tell what the second fortnight of opening will bring at Markenfield as it traditionally clashes with Wimbledon - and today it clashed with the Andy Murray match so we have particularly low expectations.


We had a small group of Watercolour painters painting the Courtyard - the same group that have created the masterpieces currently on display in the Great Hall

They were quite happily painting away in the glorious sunshine when...








217 visitors descended on them!!!

It was a truly record-breaking day that none of the Stewards on duty will ever forget!

Armed Forces Day

Poppies along the drive

Whilst Markenfield is not doing anything specifically to mark Armed Forces Day, a number of blood-red poppies have appeared in the fields along the drive in recent days; maybe a tribute from the Hall to the Farm workers who were uprooted from the peaceful lands here and transported to France to fight in the two World Wars - a world away from quiet rural North Yorkshire.


Christopher Scott Kemp is just one example of such a young man - a "Farm Servant" he was enlisted in to the West Yorkshire Regiment and killed shortly after at the Third Battle of Ypres on 20 September 1917. The Regiment's diary holds a description of that fateful day and the moment that Kemp and his Comrades went over the top.


Those that have visited Markenfield will know that one wall of the Undercroft is dominated by a large framed Estate Map. This map has pencilled upon it some of the unofficial field names that go to make up the Hall, Estate and Parish's 600 acres. They include the One Acre Paddock (where visitors now park during Open Days), the Thistley Field and The Trenches. The Trenches may seem a strange name for a farm field, but it was in this field (and two others nearby) that soldiers from Ripon came to practice the art of digging trenches. 

The photograph to the right was sent to us here at the Hall by a local gentleman who believed that it illustrates soldiers from Ripon on Markenfield land after just such an exercise.


Further information on Armed Forces Day can be found here:


http://www.armedforcesday.org.uk/

Planned to Perfection

Friday saw a wedding at the Hall - and we are happy to report that a good time was had be all, despite Mother Nature's best attempts to put a dampener on proceedings!


We have never had a Wedding Planner in charge of a wedding at the Hall, so it was with some trepidation that we launched in to the setting up of things on Thursday morning...


Needless to say that our fears were unfounded. Carol from Beau Belles was fantastic - a lovely person who had only her Bride's best interests heart. 


The day ran smoothly and without a hitch. Carol and yours truly sat at the back of the Ceremony and both shed a tear as the vows were said. The Civil Ceremony was followed by an Anglican Service of Dedication in the Chapel taken by Canon Keith Punshon.

Now for a spot of "product placement"! We are very proud to have links with some of the area's finest services and suppliers when it comes to weddings. 


The flowers (pictured left) were supplied by Lance at Caine Florists in Harrogate and the official photographs were taken by Nicola Martindale in Ripon. Both did our happy couple proud.