Plompton


Plompton is a hamlet and civil parish located south of Harrogate in North Yorkshire, England. It is close to the A661.
Plompton Hall is a Grade II* listed building designed by the architect John Carr, and built about 1760. The composer John Hebden originates from the parish.

History

Plompton was mentioned in the Domesday Book, and in the Middle Ages was variously spelt Plumton, Plumpton or Plompton. The name is from the Old English plūme and tūn, and means "plum-tree farmstead". Plompton or Plumpton was historically a township in the parish of Spofforth in the West Riding of Yorkshire, and became a separate civil parish in 1866. It was the seat of the Plumpton family from the reign of William the Conqueror until 1749, when it was sold to Daniel Lascelles. The estate was reacquired by the Plumpton family in the 20th century.

Plumpton Rocks

Plumpton Rocks is a man-made lake and surrounding pleasure gardens designed by Daniel Lascelles against a backdrop of towering Millstone Grit rocks that have been eroded by the wind. The lake was extended by a dam built by John Carr, architect of the hall. The artist J.M.W. Turner was commissioned by Edward Lascelles, 1st Earl of Harewood, to produce two paintings of the lake and rocks. These now hang at Harewood House. The rocks were also painted by Thomas Girtin. A chasm between two rocks is known as Lovers' Leap.
The site is currently operated as a tourist attraction by the owner Robert de Plumpton Hunter. The site is now generally spelt with a 'u', although Turner referred to it as Plompton Rocks, in keeping with the modern spelling of the parish itself. The gardens reopened on 30 July 2016 following a major restoration of the lake, dam and woods. The garden is open every day in August and on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from March to October. It was a filming location for the 2016 film Swallows and Amazons.