The first house built at Swinton Park was commenced in 1695 by Sir Abstrupus Danby (whose unusual christian name was bestowed on him by a befuddled parson). His successors built the stable block and gatehouse and, during the 1760's, planted the parkland and created the chain of five lakes.

The building was substantially altered during the early 1800's with the addition of a two storey west wing (now the drawing room and master suite) and north wing. A few years later a museum was constructed (which later housed the family chapel and is now the bar). At the same time the building became a 'castle' with the addition of a tower, turrets and battlements.

In 1882 Samuel Cunliffe-Lister bought the castle and, at the age of 68, embarked on an extensive building programme, adding a third floor and enlarging the dining room with the addition of the existing fireplace and gold leaf panels of rosettes on the ceiling.

In 1924 Samuel's grand-daugther, Molly, and her husband, Philip, came to live at Swinton, and took the name of Cunliffe-Lister.

Philip was later created Viscount Swinton in 1935 and the 1st Earl of Swinton in 1955. During the 2nd World War Harrogate College occupied part of the premises and, following their departure, Philip and Molly offered the major part of the castle to the Conservative College. The present Lord Swinton inherited the title on Philip's death in 1972 and the castle was sold in 1980 following Molly's death in 1974.

From 1976 to 1998, the castle was occupied by the Lindley Educational Trust which ran it as a management training centre. Mark Cunliffe-Lister, the great-grandson of Molly, along with his mother, brother and sister, bought back the castle in May 2000. On 17 June 2000 Mark and Felicity married and, on return from honeymoon, moved to Swinton, to set up the family business.

2001 to present:

Following extensive refurbishment, the hotel opened in March 2001. The ground floor reception rooms are all lavishly furnished with family antiques and ancestral portraits, and the 30 bedrooms are individually designed and furnished on the theme of a Yorkshire town, dale, castle, garden or abbey.

The hotel was officially opened by the Yorkshire cricketing celebrity, Dickie Bird MBE, and since then it has featured on TV in The Caterers, Blind Date and Just Married. Both the restaurant, Samuel’s, and the hotel have enjoyed glowing reviews in the press at both local and national level, including The Saturday Telegraph, Conde Nast Traveller, The Observer, The Evening Standard, Hello Magazine and Yorkshire Life to name but a few.

Since opening, Swinton Park has been awarded 4 stars (79%) and 2 rosettes by the AA and is listed in the Michelin and Good Hotel Guide. Yorkshire Life awarded it Best Hotel of the Year 2003, and the Yorkshire Tourist Board nominated it Best Newcomer to Tourism 2003 in the White Rose Awards. We will keep you posted of our achievements!

In June 2003 the Rosemary Shrager cookery school opened at Swinton Park, housed in the 18th century stableblock overlooking the castle and parkland. Rosemary has an established reputation, and has starred in the TV series, Rosemary Castle Cook and Rosemary on the Road, having worked with Pierre Koffmann at Tante Claire and Jean Christoffe Novelli, previously Rosemary ran the cookery school at Amhuinnsuidhe Castle on the Hebrides.

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