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Timeline

  1. 1086

    Santriburtone

    Santriburtone is a small village

  2. 1135

    Stephen’s Tower Built

    King Stephen begins his reign amid war. Burtone’s stone tower, named Stephen’s Tower, is thought to have been built in his reign to defend the village.

  3. 1190

    Erneburgh Burtona

    Ulbert de Constable marries Erneburgh; the village is renamed Erneburgh Burtona.

  4. 1246

    Renamed Burton Constable

    The village is renamed Constable Burton, changing to Burton Constable 20 years later.

  5. 1293

    Gardens Worth 20 Shillings

    Burton Constable recorded as having ‘gardens worth 20 shillings’.

  6. 1433

    First Constable Born at Hall

    Agnes Constable is the first Constable recorded as being born at Burton Constable.

  7. 15th Century

    Tower Raised & Formal Gardens

    Stephen’s Tower is built higher, making guest rooms. Formal geometric gardens with knot hedges become the fashionable garden style, following Royal trends.

  8. 1500

    New Manor House Built

    A new manor house is built, probably replacing an early timber-framed structure.

  9. 1530s

    Constables Become Recusants

    As the English Reformation up-ends society, the family become ‘recusants’, punished for refusing to accept Church of England.

  10. 1570

    East Front Added

    Sir John Constable builds ‘a new addition of a greater beauty’, creating the grand East Front by which visitors enter today.

  11. 1579

    Title of Seignior of Holderness

    Sir John Constable receives a new title – the Seignior of Holderness.

  12. 1590

    Long Gallery Extension

    The Hall is extended to the South West, creating the Long Gallery and Drawing Rooms.

  13. 1642-1651

    Civil War & Financial Struggles

    During the English Civil War, the Royalist Constable family experience financial difficulties, briefly losing the Hall.

  14. 1685

    Hall Painted with Deer Park

    Burton Constable Hall is painted surrounded by deer park and fish ponds.

  15. 1718

    Inheritance by Cuthbert Tunstall

    The 4th Viscount dies childless, Cousin Cuthbet Tunstall/Constable inherits.

  16. 1747

    William Constable’s Redesign

    William Constable begins redesigning his house and park. At about this time, Capability Brown was setting a trend for naturalistic landscaping.

  17. 1750s

    Park Transformation Completed

    “My park 40 years ago was 400 or 500 acres of a Wilderness of Old Thornes, old decayed forest trees, whins or gorse higher than a man on horseback, rushes, hillhocks, deep ridge and furrow, rivers and swamps and full of all kinds of game. Now all are removed at great expense” – William Constable to his brother Marmaduke

  18. 1755

    Survey of Old Gardens

    A survey plan depicts the remains of the old formal geometric gardens North of the Hall.

  19. 1772

    Brown’s First Visit

    Capability Brown makes first of 8 visits to Burton Constable.

  20. 1775

    William Constable’s Projects

    William destroys the old stables north of the Hall and builds his new palatial stable block.

  21. 1780

    Prepared for Gordon Riots

    Anti-Catholic Gordon Riots – Burton Constable is prepared for attack.

  22. 1782

    Brown’s Final Visit

    Capability Brown makes his last visit to Burton Constable. Only 4 months later he dies on 6th February 1783.

  23. 1783

    Barrett’s Hall Views

    William Constable commissions 3 views of the hall by artist George Barrett

  24. 1850

    Agnes est Front Redesigned

    West Front laid out with new paths and statues.

  25. 1851

    Census of 124 Residents

    The census records 124 people at Burton Constable. This would have included the Constable family, their visitors, indoor staff of 40, estate workers and tenants.

  26. 1870

    House Closed by Lady Rosina

    Sir Thomas Aston Clifford Constable dies. Much of the furniture is removed by Lady Rosina, and the house is shut for a long period.

  27. 1895

    Inheritance & Reopening

    Lt Walter George Raleigh Chichester Constable inherits, and the house is reopened.

  28. 1940s

    Army Requisition & Bomb Damage

    Hall is requisitioned by British Army for training encampment, and serval German bombs land nearby damaging windows and some rooms.

  29. 1970s

    Restoration with Rallies & Raves

    John Raleigh Chichester Constable and his wife Gay work to restore the Hall, hosting steam rallies, hovercraft races and even raves to raise money to re-roof the house.

  30. 1992

    Agnes Constable

    Hall is taken over by the National Heritage Memorial Fund and passes to the charitable Burton Constable Foundation.