Description

SD 86 NE MALHAM MOOR TARN HOUSE ROAD
(south side)

14/139 Tarn House

II

Country house, now National Trust Field Centre. c.1780 for Thomas Lister, Lord
Ribblesdale, with extension to rear c.1802 and 1853 and additions to the east in
1862-85 for Walter Morrison. Dressed medium-grained sandstone, greyslate
roofs. 2-storey, 3 x 3 bay C18 range with 1 x 3 bay later C19 east range, and
other C19 additions to rear, not of special interest. South front C18 range has
centre breaking forward as a 2-storey canted bay and later C19 glass-roofed
verandah; recessed sashes throughout, with plate glass to ground floor and with
glazing bars to first floor; eaves band; hipped roof; ridge stacks flanking
central bay and 2 more to left return. On right, bow fronted east range has
tall windows to ground and first floor,with architraves and sill band; eaves
band and cornice. left return: rendered with raised quoins; square central
window with tall stair window above; flanking sashes with glazing bars in
projecting stone surround. Right return: main entrance in porch with large
doors in moulded architrave and cornice on brackets. Interior: the east
(entrance) range has a find staircase with wrought iron balustrade. Thomas
Lister was MP for Clitheroe in Lancashire until 1790 when he retired to his
estate at Gisburn Park. He was created Baron Ribblesdale of Gisburn Park in 1797
and built Tarn House (then called Malham Water House) as a hunting box occupied
by his agent Thomas Collins (d.1816). In 1852 Lister's son sold the extended
house to James Morrison whose son lived there until his death in 1921. the
Morrisons were visited by Charles Kingsley who was inspired to write "The Water
Babies" while staying there, and John Ruskin probably influenced the design of
the east entrance wing which had a tall campanile above the entrance (demolished
after 1963) A. Raistrick, Old Yorkshire Dales, 1967, p.138 A. Raistrick, Malham
Tarn House, Field Studies-Vol.l No. 5 1963, p.89.

Listing NGR: SD8938067241

External Links

• Historic England Listing
• Wikidata Q26603085

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  Pevsner's Architectural Glossary (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Introductions)
• 
  Oxfordshire: North and West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Huddersfield in 50 Buildings
• 
  Norfolk 1: Norwich and North-East: Norwich and North-east v. 1 (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  England's Post-War Listed Buildings
• 
  Development and Design of Heritage Sensitive Sites: Strategies for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas