History of Swarcliffe Hall

Swarcliffe Hall was built in 1850 by the Greenwood family and stands in twenty acres of beautiful countryside overlooking the Nidd valley and as far a field as the York and the Yorkshire wolds.

The hall is the second house to be built on the site. The original building was a smaller but equally impressive home built by the Blessard family in 1800.

In 1839 Charlotte Bronte worked for a brief spell at Swarcliffe Hall as a governess.

The hall also has royal connections. Prince Albert Victor, the Duke of Clarence visited in 1888 and 1889 when he formally opened the New Bath Hospital in Harrogate.

The impressive gardens were originally quite an attraction for Victorian and Edwardian day trippers. The gardens are still home to rare species and boasts one of the largest bamboo displays in the north of England.

During the last few years, the charitable trust, which owns the school has refurbished and modernised all of the school's facilities, whilst still retaining the character and beauty of Swarcliffe hall.