Castle Howard Road in Malton takes drivers to the well-known stately home and is steeped in history. Howard Campion looks back.

HEADING west out of Malton, Castle Howard Road runs in an almost parallel direction to the B1257 Hovingham Road and it is accessed from York Road, just beyond the War Memorial.

Its original name was Braygate Street and further becoming known as Hepton Hill a couple of miles before reaching Castle Howard.

It is far more exposed to the effects of bad weather than is the B1257.

The road is known to be of Roman origin.

Castle Howard did not feature in its original name because the well-known stately home was not developed until the 18th century – when the neighbouring village of Coneysthorpe was also created.

In fact, the original Braygate Street seemed to end up at Bulmer and might have linked to other roads in Stittenham/Sherriff Hutton area which lead to York.

On leaving Malton there is a residential development followed by allotments called California, which compare in name to a similar plot of land at Amothery named Canada.

In 1950 the Great Yorkshire Show visited this area.

It was the last time the well-known agricultural event travelled around Yorkshire.

Its permanent base near Harrogate was established ready for the 1951 event.

Probably the best known building in Castle Howard Road was St Andrew’s School.

A private school, it originated in Scarborough and transferred to Malton in 1945 where it occupied a large building on the corner of The Mount/Middlecave Road before moving to its final destination in 1946.

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In the first few miles out of Malton, the road went past extensive properties once occupied by families who have been known as ‘Yorkshire Royalty’.

The original house no longer exists but Hildenley was originally home to the Stricklands – its name derives from a nearby St Hilda’s Holy Well (Hinderwell near Whitby also owes its name to a similar well).

A nearby limestone quarry also yields the best quality stone in the area.

Easthorpe Hall – just along the road – is where Charles Dickens once stayed in 1843.

Its original owners were the Grimthorpes (family name Beckett).

They were related by marriage to a previous Poet Laureate, John Betjeman.

Former prime minister Anthony Eden also married into the family, whilst an early Grimthorpe designed Big Ben.

The hall eventually became a night club but it burned down in 1971.

  • Howard Campion is a trustee at the Malton and Norton Heritage Centre