IN recent weeks, we’ve been intrigued by the grand-looking Durham House in Northallerton, which is practically opposite the town hall in the High Street. It was built in the 1750s to the designs of John Carr, the finest Yorkshire architect of his day.
In the 20th Century, the alleyway beside it led to the Metropole garage which was established at least 100 years ago in the Durham House stable block, which was also apparently designed by Carr. The stables main exit was out through an archway onto East Street beneath a curious building with an upper floor featuring a Diocletian semi-circular window stolen from baths at Rome – Carr must have been in a frivolous mood when designing this as there is none of the square grandeur of Durham House.
“I have always been intrigued by the rear entry to Durham House as it just does not seem to fit in with the style of the house itself and why the top storey was added I will never know,” says Colin Narramore, “but as you say, it’s a quirky building.”
Read more: The Northallerton 'Romeo' who swapped Barkers for the Metropole garage
Colin’s research shows that from 1860 to 1871, Durham House was a boarding school for girls run by Miss Adelaide Forster. It was then bought for £900 by the Anchor Lodge of Northallerton Freemasons, whose masonic hall is still in one of the out-buildings.
An advert for Mrs Pattison's coachworks in Durham House. Picture courtesy of Colin Narramore
In 1876, Elizabeth Pattison set up as a coachbuilder in the stables, and she was joined by her husband, John, in the 1881 census, and then by their two sons: Arthur, a carriage builder, and Thomas, a trimmer. Mrs Pattison was obviously a trailblazer in a male-dominated world.
Colin Narramore's bill header for Kellett & Pick's Metropole garage behind Durham House in Northallerton. It is dated July 1930, and another local company had hired a car for two hours in which they had driven 16 miles. It had cost them 12s 8d
It looks likely that after the First World War, Clarence Oxendale established his Metropole garage in the coachworks and it later became Kellett & Pick, although they kept the Metropole name going into the 1970s.
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