York Historic Environment Record

House. Inscribed and dated 'JY/1734' in plasterwork of hall ceiling with later additions and alterations including wing to rear. For John Yarburgh. Pinkish-brown brick with ashlar and red brick dressings and plain tile roof. 2 storeys, 5 bays. Red brick quoins. Central entrance an 8-fielded-panel door with C20 overlight within pilastered doorcase with open pediment on brackets. Unequally-hung 15-pane sashes throughout with red brick quoined jambs and under flat arches of red rubbed brick. 4-course first floor band. Eaves band. Parapet with ashlar coping. Ashlar coping to eaves. End stacks. Scalloped gables. To rear: staircase window an 18-pane sash with radial glazing bars to the head. Interior: panelled sitting room with C18 fireplace. Dining room has panelling and alcoves with shaped shelves. Rococo fireplace. Window seat contains earth closet. Openwell staircase has barleysugar-on-vase balusters, 3 per tread. Rectangular panels of moulded plasterwork to staircase hall ceiling. Panelling to landing and some first-floor rooms. Dog-leg closed string service staircase with column-on vase balusters. Shutters to most windows. Pevsner, N., Yorkshire, York and The East Riding, 1978, p. 250.
Listing NGR: SE6276450243

Derived from English Heritage LB download dated: 22/08/2005

History of Little Hall

Little Hall was built in 1734 for John Yarburgh. It is probable that it was originally the dower house to Heslington Hall. Although over the years there have been a number of small changes to its interior fabric this is largely intact. Its external architecture remained virtually unchanged until at least 1853 where it is still shown as a simple rectangle on the Ordnance Survey map of that year (1853). This map also shows the front path to the main door, the side driveway and a number of other entrance paths from the Main Street. It also shows the orchard (divided from the front side garden), the coach-house and some ancillary barns (for the use of servants).
The later Ordnance Survey map 1889-1893 shows that in the intervening years there were many changes. The simple original rectangle now has a side greenhouse and a single-storey kitchen block to the rear. (It is probable that the cellar was originally used as the kitchen). This re-situated kitchen itself has a small porch to the new back door. This map also shows that there were at least three routes from the house to Main Street and evidence of some of these can be seen from the existing front boundary wall. Even more significantly, an extensive range of agricultural barns were added by this date and the spaces between the coach-house and the earlier ancillary barns have been filled with yet further barns.
The courtyard to the rear of the house also shows a pole-barn and there were others in the
adjoining back fields. Little Hall was renamed Little Hall Farm by this time and it functioned as
a farm probably up to the 1940s after which it again became a private residence. The barns
then became redundant and the pole-barns for hay storage demolished. It reverted to the
name of Little Hall.
In c.1985 the small Victorian kitchen block to the rear of Little Hall was significantly extended
and there was also, parallel to it, the addition of a large family room. Both of these have
separate pitched roofs and are single storey.
Little Hall is an interesting example of architectural evolution reflecting social change. It has
changed from being primarily a house of high aristocratic status designed for an 18th century
single elderly dowager with her numerous servants. Then it became a fully functioning
farmhouse with its added barns and then on to become a home for a large family.

Heritage Statement, 2016, Native Chartered Architects