History

There has long been a property of sorts on or close to the site of Hipping Hall, in an adjoining field you might just find the remains of an Iron-Age / Roman enclosure, which was still in use in Medieval times. The current site of Hipping Hall is believed to have been the principal house of a small hamlet, over time many of the buildings fell into disrepair and others were incorporated into the hall or converted to stables or outbuildings.

Hipping Hall itself takes its name from the Hipping, or stepping, stones that cross Broken Beck, the little stream that runs through the grounds. Way back when these stones allowed travellers to cross the road that has for a long time been an important artery between the west coast of England and the cities of Leeds and York.

One enterprising individual a blacksmith called Robert Tatham saw this as a real opportunity for riches… quickly setting up shop on land he purchased from Hipping, and who knows, maybe he even provided sustenance and accommodation to those wanting to break up their journey… trade obviously boomed and by 1668 Robert not only owned 12 acres of land but also Hipping Hall itself!

In the early 18th Century the owner of Hipping Hall Edward Tatham married Mary Trotter the only daughter of a local lawyer Richard Trotter of High Hall, Dent, and became gentry in a generation, building the Hall in its current form and creating his legacy in the process…

Hipping Hall in its current incarnation threw open its doors as a restaurant with rooms some 12 years ago. In 2010 Hipping featured in the BBC’s seminal foodie comedy ‘The Trip’, which follows Rob Brydon and Steve Coogan as they embark on a gastronomic journey across the North of England, sampling the culinary delights of Hipping Hall along the way…

Hipping Hall is always evolving and moving forward, as it has across the centuries, in 2017 the property has been lovingly re-imagined. Owner Andrew Wildsmith working with renowned interior designer James Mackie have peeled away the layers to re redefine Hippings essence, to capture its sense of place within the very landscape in which it sits… paying homage to the high fells, rivers and streams, woods and meadows and the very rock itself to create a very distinct pallet… encapsulating Hipping Hall’s past, present and future as part of this unique place…