By Aled Jones
This evocative vintage picture postcard is a rare early twentieth-century view of Sewerby Hall, seen from the front elevation on a sunny summer’s day. Back then, the house was still in private hands and thus closed to the public.
Four adult sheep are seen grazing in the sunshine. They certainly look happy and contented.
The postcard dates to the mid-Edwardian era. It has a Sewerby postmark for June 2nd, 1906 and the sender has hand written ‘Sewerby House’ in the actual message area.
Sewerby House, built in 1714 and set in 50 acres of parkland, was the original name for this unique and dramatic cliff top residence. When acquired by Bridlington Corporation in 1934 it was renamed Sewerby Hall and Park.
It’s a shame the Lloyd-Graeme family had to leave, since they were top philanthropists in our town for over 200 years.
It is understood that they built Trinity Church on Promenade, and donated a new lifeboat to the local RNLI station.
Note in the postcard the many mature trees in front of the house, effectively hiding it (now felled). Which suggests the owners wanted as much privacy as possible. Beautiful, elegant and living the dream of gentrification, this is a Queen Anne gem they weren’t eager to share!
All that can be clearly seen of the Grade I listed house is the fine classical portico of stone, added in 1808. It boasts Doric columns showing Grecian influence and the feature hasn’t changed at all since its build.
The Orangery or Conservatory can just be observed through the tree cover to the right. It was added to the east end of the house in the mid-nineteenth century and is now a venue for weddings and musical events.
Above the entrance is a combined tympanum and frieze from the original Queen Anne house. The feature emulates the appearance of an Ancient Greek temple design.
