Nostell Priory
Nostell Priory is situated on the A638 Wakefield to Doncaster Road about six miles south of Wakefield. There was a Medieval priory upon the site which was founded in the 12th Century and dedicated to St Oswald. The monastic buildings were converted to a house after the Dissolution of the Monasteries in 1537. It was owned by several different people until 1650 when it was purchased by the Winn family.
In 1735 Sir Rowland Winn, the fourth baronet, began to build the present Nostell Priory on a site to the north of the old priory. A new park was laid out around it. In 1765 the fifth baronet, another Sir Rowland, commissioned Robert Adam to complete the interior in the neo-classical style. Various other buildings on the estate were designed by Adam who also built a new wing to the north-east corner of the house in 1779-80. There have been a few other small additions and redecoration but the house remains substantially as it was in the 18th Century.
The house was given to the National Trust in 1953 but the family continued to live there. Nostell Priory was substantially damaged by fire in 1980 but this has been repaired.
In 2006 I understand that the National Trust has bought a substantial area of land that was once part the Nostell Priory estate. This area is now open to the public for walking and recreation.
As it was a nice autumn day when we visited we took a picnic and wandered down one of the many walks to find a quiet place to eat it. Part way through scoffing we started getting bombarded by nuts thrown from a neighbouring tree. No it was not boys or yobs or what you will, but a gang of grey squirrels, extremely annoyed because we were invading their patch. Well what could I do? I got up and threw a few back and the little varmints retreated to a tree further away, chittering loudly and keeping up their commentary all the time until we left.
Address:- Nostell Priory, Doncaster Road, Nostell, nr Wakefield, West Yorkshire WF4 1QE. Tel. 01924 863892. Website www.nationaltrust.org.uk.