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Skelton Hall is located in North Yorkshire, England. In 1814 Mrs Mary Thompson, the widow of Henry Thompson, came to live in Skelton at The Cottage from where she not only kept an eye on the repairs that she financed at the church, but also on the building of Skelton Lodge (later Hall) which is shown in an 1839 lithograph. The Lodge became The Hall in about 1867, and the Thompson's were succeeded as owners by the Thornton Duesberys.
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Gardens
It is believed that the gardens were laid out at the time the house was constructed, and were designed by John Meikle, a student of Capability Brown. Certainly the hand of a master is in evidence, with magnificent plantings complementing sweeping lawns and a lake, now stocked with, among other specimens, carp and tench.
World War II and after
The Hall later had a chequered history. During World War II it was requisitioned by the RAF, and no doubt the period of their occupation saw this fine building at a low ebb. After the war it was regarded as too large for contemporary living and was divided into two separate properties. In 1997 the individual owners of both wings decided independently to market their houses and as a result a single owner was found for The Hall, namely the Cooke family who undertook a refurbishment to reunite both wings of the property back into one property.