Ormesby Hall

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.