Join us for tea and cake served in the Great Hall, followed by a tour of the Hall by one of our amazing guides.

A tour of the Hall by one of our lovely guides, followed by tea and locally-made cake served in the Great Hall.

A tour of the Hall with one of our fabulous guides, followed by tea and cake served in the Great Hall.

Just as it sounds... join us for a tour of the Hall, followed by a delicious Afternoon Tea lovingly baked by Elizabeth Dennison of The Dusty Miller. "Better than Betty's" as our visitors' book says...

Fountains Abbey and Markenfield Hall stand just one mile apart, as the crow flies. Fountains Abbey Archivist William Barber explores the relationship between the owners of the Markenfield estate and the monks of Fountains Abbey from the mid 12th century to November, 1539 when that house was dissolved. It is based on information to be found in the few remnants that survive from the Markenfield papers, and the more plentiful, but still fragmentary, abbey records, the earliest of which are the monastic charters recording donations of land and other resources to the house during the first two centuries of its existence.

Although the Markenfields had a beautiful domestic Chapel in the heart of the house, at an early stage they established their own chantry chapel dedicated to St Andrew on the East side of the North transept of Ripon Cathedral, where two mediaeval monuments to two notable members of the family remain: both Sir Thomas Markenfields, one (d. 1398) the great-great-grandfather of the other (d.1497). They are all that is left of what must have been, before the reformation, a very fine place of worship and family mausoleum. These are their stories.

A study of the Parish of Markenfield Hall: a most unusual parish, partly because of its unique 14th century moated hall and also because, over the centuries, the parish has remained small, its boundaries almost identical with those of the estate. Unlike surrounding parishes, no hamlet or village has grown up around the hall. Through the ages the name has changed from Merchefeld to Markenfield with the main variants being Merchingfeld, Merkingfeld, Markynfeld, Merkyngefelde, Markinfeild and Markingefeild. In addition, it has been a manor, parke, mannor, hall and today it is the Parish of Markenfield Hall.