If first impressions hold any credence at all, sight of the magnificent gatehouse at Burton Agnes Hall does not fail to fulfil the expectations of splendour that await the unsuspecting visitor. This is a grand Elizabethan house, full of treasures both old and modern, legends and stories wrapped in its walls, gardens full of interest and surprises, and a history going back to Norman times.

More than this, Burton Agnes Hall is a much-loved and lived in family home, whose tangible warmth embraces all who set foot inside the welcoming property. Perhaps this was not always the case. When Roger de Stuteville first built his Norman manor house on the site in 1173 it would have presented an austere and gloomy picture of practical, sturdy architecture.

Thought to have been named after Roger's daughter, Agnes, the remains of his original vaulted chamber, and the later addition of the 15th century great hall, present a vivid contrast to the modern house. One of the remarkable facts about Burton Agnes Hall is that from the time of its Norman origins, the estate has never been sold on the open market, all successive owners being descendants of some branch of the family.

The glorious symmetrical façade of Sir Henry Griffith's new house survives as an outstanding example of Robert Smithson's work. As Master Mason to Queen Elizabeth I, Smithson was well used to designing and building homes of quality and distinction. At the beginning of the 17th century this sumptuously decorated home began to take shape, and it is still essentially an Elizabethan showpiece. Tragically for young Anne Griffith, one of Sir Henry's daughters, she never lived to enjoy the delights of her 'beautiful home'. Every waking moment her mind was filled with images of her lovely new house, and she never stopped talking about it. Just before it was finally completed, she was brutishly attacked, her injuries so severe that she died within a few days.

During bouts of consciousness she made her sisters promise to cut off her head after she died, preserving it in the new Hall forever. Initially, Anne was buried in the churchyard, but her restless ghost so disturbed everyone, that her sisters agreed to exhume the body and carry out Anne's dying wishes. Peace reigned at Burton Agnes Hall so long as the skull was not disturbed. On various occasions when the skull was removed from the house, the ghostly noises returned, so it was eventually built into one of the walls. Legend has it that it remains to this day, and Anne watches quietly and contentedly over 'her beautiful home'.

Featuring prominently throughout Burton Agnes Hall are the plasterwork ceilings, the alabaster chimney pieces, and the supremely skilled wood carvings notably on the grand Elizabethan staircase. Running the entire length of Burton Agnes Hall, the recently restored long gallery, boasting a fine barrel ceiling, is a perfect setting to display many of the family treasures. From Persian carpets to Impressionist paintings, porcelain to pieces of elegant furniture, artefacts and art work spanning four centuries ingeniously brought together to reflect the individual moods of the various occupants.

Situated on the north east coast of Yorkshire, some six miles inland of Bridlington, the bracing climate at Burton Agnes Hall has been cleverly tamed within spectacular walled gardens. Along with the herbaceous borders, the scented garden and the jungle garden, all ages will delight in the giant outdoor board games to be found sheltering between the plants.