Ormesby Hall is the Pennyman family's Palladian house on the edge of Middlesbrough, their home since 1599 and completed in its present form in 1754. Rooms with fine 18th-century plasterwork tell the family's stories, from 'wicked' Sir James to Colonel Jim Pennyman, a First World War survivor, and his wife Ruth with her theatrical exploits; Jim left the house to the National Trust in 1961 and Ruth lived on here until 1983. The Victorian laundry and kitchen show the servants' side, and model railway layouts, a second-hand bookshop and a cafe fill the outbuildings. The Victorian formal garden sits in 240 acres of parkland with a free 3.1 km all-weather trail for walkers, cyclists, wheelchairs and dogs on leads. Reviewers praise the friendly volunteers, the well-furnished rooms with plenty to read, and the peaceful orchard and pond. One tip from visitors: the first floor is reached by steps only and sometimes closes when volunteers are short.
