Three hundred years ago, inspired by his Grand Tour, a young and wealthy landowner hired local craftsmen to build his very own Italian palace - in Yorkshire.

John Bourchier lll masterminded the project to replace his family’s modest 16th century Elizabethan manor.

The result was the stunning Beningbrough Hall near York, a grand Georgian home set in extensive grounds close to the River Ouse.

AFTER more than 100 years in that family’s ownership, the estate passed to a distant relative, the Reverend William Henry Dawnay. His family happily settled there but as circumstances changed the house became neglected.

It was bought in the early 1916 by the Countess of Chesterfield, a wealthy heiress , who immediately set about its restoration, filling it with furnishings and paintings from her ancestral home.

During the Second War the house was occupied by the Royal Air Force, and later, in 1958, it was acquired by the National Trust who manage it to this day.

The changing fortunes of the house and garden - which attract more than 130,000 visitors every year - are being told as part of the hall’s 300th birthday celebrations.

The hall’s grand rooms are a pleasure to stroll around, from the magnificent drawing room to the panelled dining room and sumptuous state apartment. I like the little corner rooms and dressing rooms, with their fireplaces, panelling and displays of porcelain, and the orangery where potted palms and other tropical plants can be seen. You can get a true flavour of the house in its heyday.

The hall contains numerous interactive displays for children and adults. Dressing up in clothing to match those featured in paintings, can be fun.

You can place yourself in a virtual portrait, and in a room of sculpted busts, including James Cook and Alexander Pope, children - and grown-ups are given the opportunity to model noses from clay. These form part of the Making Faces - Eighteenth Century Style interactive galleries.

Views from the house are magnificent, sweeping across lawns to a ha-ha and parkland beyond with cattle grazing.

A working walled garden shows those who fancy themselves as having green fingers, the way to do it. Vegetables of all description include onions, leeks, celery, beans and beetroot, while espaliers growing up against a tall, sunny wall, were laden with apples, pears and even peaches. Grand herbaceous borders are colourful and pungent, one made up entirely of lavender.

An adventure playground within woodland - soon to display its autumn colours - allow children to let off steam.

A highlight of any visit to the hall is the laundry. Its equipment includes a large box mangle, a series of irons and hand-operated washing machines dating from the early 20th century. With a flagstoned floor and crisp, fresh sheets and table cloths hanging overhead, the room evokes the atmosphere of a busy place of work. My friend, aged 87, remembered her mother using certain items.

A cafe serving lunches and snacks made with the hall’s own produce, borders a sunny patio and grassed area for children to play safely while you eat. There’s also a shop and plant centre.

Beningbrough is easily accessible and holds events and activities for children and adults including photography workshops, willow weaving, bird watching, den making and bug hunting.

*Easily accessible from West Yorkshire, via the A64, the hall makes a great day out.

*Beningbrough Hall, Beningbrough, York YO30 1DD; The house is signposted off the A59 and A19.

W:nationaltrust.org.uk/beningbrough-hall E:beningbrough@nationaltrust.org.uk; T:01904 472027. Check for opening times.