Newburgh Priory, a large and imposing house, stands on the site of an Augustinian priory, founded in 1145.
Following the Dissolution of the Monasteries the property was acquired in 1541 by Anthony Belassis, one of Henry VIII's chaplains. He converted the priory into a Tudor mansion and today there are no signs of the original monastic buildings and church.
In the early-17th century Sir Henry Belassis enlarged and embellished the house. However, most of these alterations were covered by the work carried out by his descendant the 4th Viscount (later 1st Earl) of Fauconberg.
Beginning in the 1720s, and acting as his own architect, the 4th Viscount carried out a improvements to the house which lasted over 50 years. In 1825 the property was inherited by Lord Fauconberg's granddaughter who had married Sir George Wombwell.
Since that time, Newburgh Priory has remained in the hands of the Wombwell family, who reoccupied the house in 1969 after had been used as a school.
Through delicate iron gates is the huge stable block, 1725, then the house which faces north over the countryside and was built to the 16th century design of a hall block with projecting wings.
The original gables and mullioned windows were replaced by the Georgian remodelling.
The rather bare entrance front is accentuated by the ruinous east wing, which housed the Long Gallery until after World War II. Opposite is long, low 16th century range, built of rubble-stone.
The south front retains its early-17th century three-storey 'frontispiece' with classical orders. Beside this is a bow-windowed projection added in early-17th century and altered in the 1760s.
Upstairs, three rooms are on show. In one of the rooms is a conversation piece of the 4th Viscount Fauconberg and his children, dated 1755, by the Florentine artist Andrea Sold, whose portraits can be seen elsewhere in the house.
The room over the porch may contain the remains of Oliver Cromwell, said to have been brought to Newburgh Priory by his daughter when she married the 2nd Viscount.
The main staircase became ruinous at the time of World War II and it is thought that the room adjacent to this was never fully decorated because of a curse.
A secondary staircase, with 17th century portraits, leads to the ground floor.
The site of the Elizabethan hall is now occupied by the Dining Room, formerly the library, with its vast chimneypiece and overmantel, thought to have been created by Nicholas Stone.
The fine works of art in the Dining Room include pictures of Cromwell's daughter and her husband and more portraits by Soldi. The two Drawing Rooms date from the time of the 4th Lord Fauconberg.
The Rococo ceilings were created by Guiseppe Cortese in 1765 - 67 and the marble chimneypieces were carved by the London craftsman, Thomas Moore. The rooms contain fine 18th century furniture and porcelain, and paintings including works by Soldi, Philip Mercier and Romney.
Newburgh Priory faces over a pastoral landscape, with a lake and distant hills. The grounds have a water garden.
