Spring Adventures Resume: Shibden Hall

Spring seems to have finally arrived on the island.  The temperatures are more mild, the flowers are in bloom, and the skies are blue.  This means our weekends can be spent exploring more local spots.  Two weekends ago, we visited Shibden Hall.  This had not been on our radar at all, but then saw an HBO announcement for a mini-series of Anne Lister and Shibden Hall a few weeks ago.

You can read more about Anne here - but the short-version is that Anne inherited Shibden Hall at a time when she needed to make significant repairs to the property in the 1800's.  She was also a lesbian (very controversial at the time) and managed to woo and heiress to help her manage and pay for the renovations and upgrades needed.  The mini-series will be released in 2018 - definitely on my must-watch list.  In the mean time, see below for a few photos inside and out of the Shibden!

Also - note to parents here - this would be an awesome place to bring kiddos!  There is a small lake with paddle boats, a huge playground, and a handful of amusement rides (read: small ferris wheel and spin-y ride!)

The outside has a Tudor-style feel:

A view of the Great Hall inside - make sure to look at the portrait of Anne Lister and the amazing stained glass that was collected from churches during the dissolution of monasteries activity under Henry the 8th:

The carriage was magnificent...they probably had 20 different carriages on display!

Three cheers for Shibden Hall!