Monk Fryston Hall (The Manor) was originally a religious house in connection with Selby Abbey and was almost certainly in existence before the Conquest.

A deed executed by Archbishop Thomas who built the church at Monk Fryston granted the Church and advowson's of Fryston to the Abbey of Selby. At the same time another deed granted Monk Fryston Manor to the same Abbey. No dates appear on these documents but they must have been executed about 1080.

The ancient document in the British Museum, dated 1320 records that at Monk Fryston Manor there lived the "Agent" of the Abbot of Selby and also the "Master of Works" with other Benedictine monks.

Nothing is known of the history of the house between the days of the monks and about 1680, when the property came into the hands of the Hemsworth family.

The family name of Hemsworth is a very ancient one. The name appears in the Domesday Book as Hamelsward. The first of the family was Thorgill Sprakaleg. He was a Danish Earl of some standing and a general in the army of King Swend Tewksleg when he invaded England in 1014 A.D. He settled in Hemsworth, which was then called Hamelsward.

The family resided at Hemsworth for several generations before moving to Swillington in 1487. They were the Lords of the Manor of Swillington. After Swillington the family moved to Garforth, and in 1562 were Lords of the Manor of Garforth.

In the year 1649 Gabriel Hemsworth was a major in the Royalist army of Charles I (Beaumont's Regiment of Foot). He assisted in repulsing the Parliamentarian General, Lord Fairfax and was present at the sieges of Pontefract Castle and the Castles of Newark and Sheffield.

Monk Fryston Hall was bought by the above Gabriel Hemsworth's grandson, David, about 1680. The house although very large was mostly in a dilapidated state. In 1780 his son, also named David pulled down a considerable amount of the old building down and repairing what was left. At this time bullets were found in the roof that had been fired by Cromwell's soldiers as they made their way through the village.

On September 5th 1894 the then occupier of the Hall, the Rev. Benjamin Hemsworth married Mary Constance Duke of Lake House, Wiltshire, following which the Hall was enlarged and much improved. The renowned architect, Sir Ernest George was in charge of the major alterations, including the addition of the ballroom, studio and billiard room.

It appears to have been the influence of Mrs. Hemsworth which transformed the ground and gardens around the Hall. The Lucerne Bridge was created and the roof sections were painted by Mrs. Hemsworth herself re-creating the story of "The Shipwrecked Mariner". The lake was cleared out to enable boating to take place and a Zoo containing a wide variety of small animals and birds was established. At Bank Holidays the grounds were opened to the public for their enjoyment.

In the adjacent quarry the mountains of "Bonnie Scotland" were created on wooden hordings erected to the face of the quarry to form a spectacular backdrop. Also in the grounds was an outdoor swimming pool along with the Alpine Tea Room and Concert Hall. The Tea Room walls were also decorated with paintings by Mrs. Hemsworth, such was her love of art.

The end of the Hemsworth family came when the Rev. Benjamin Hemsworth died childless in 1925. Although Mrs. Hemsworth remained in the Hall until her passing in May 1940 her artistic stamp is still to be found in the Hall grounds to this day.