Middleton Hall, Middleton-on-the-Wolds, East Riding, Yorkshire

The final Headquarters for East Riding - Yorkshire Patrols was Middleton Hall, Middleton-on-the-Wolds. Used from 13th January 1942.

The village is pleasantly situated in a valley, about nine miles north-west of Beverley, and eight south-west of Driffield.

The first County Headquarters was located at Benningholme Hall near Skirlaugh. The HQ was later moved to Rise Hall. In late 1941 the HQ then moved to Middleton Hall. Like Rise, an Operational Base was built for the then Intelligence Officer Captain Hollis and his HQ staff.

Stepped foundations were used in the OB construction compensate for being built on a sloping site. The complete OB is 52 feet long. The entrance and exits are incorporated within the main chamber so no tunnels were required. The main chamber is 26 feet long with four timber bunk beds. Square post holes in the floor appear to accommodate a central table. At either end of the chamber are flat roofed chambers with block walls. The first houses the entrance hatch and water tank.

Captain Hollis visited GHQ Coleshill during the war and it is thought he may have configured Middleton Hall to reflect what he saw at Coleshill. There are clear similarities.

The local Post Office was used as the correspondence address for the HQ in the same way that Highworth was used. Captain Leigh-Lye used Middleton Hall stables as his HQ though it seems a good number of meetings were held in the Crown & Anchor public house in Middleton.

The Auxiliers were collected from the train station, which could be reached from almost all areas of East and North Ridings. They were also billeted in the stable block.

It is probable that the house remained empty from the end of the Second World War until it was demolished in 1963. Since then the grounds and parkland have been maintained as part of a small shooting estate.

Property Purpose
Auxiliary Units County Headquarters
Address
Middleton Hall Estate,
Beverly Road,
Middleton-on-the-Wolds,
Driffield
East Yorkshire
YO25 9BY
Personnel
Role Name Posted from Until
Intelligence Officer Captain Peter Hollis 05 Dec 1941 29 Jan 1942
Intelligence Officer Captain Edward James Margetson Leigh-Lye 13 Jun 1942 28 Oct 1944
Location

53.928459, -0.557722

Pictures
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Middleton Hall Stable block in the 1960's. (From George Dawes)
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Nissen Hut bases in the grounds (from George Dawes)
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Concrete steps which led into Nissen Huts (from George Dawes)
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Entrance shaft into the Operational Base (from George Dawes)
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The exit shaft. The wooden slats are thought to be original (from George Dawes)
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Looking down vertical entrance shaft (from George Dawes)
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In first chamber and looking into the main chamber (from George Dawes)
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Cast iron cap from the water tank (from George Dawes)
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Bottom of entrance shaft. Water tank on your left (from George Dawes)
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Bottom of entrance shaft. Looking into first chamber (from George Dawes)
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In first chamber and looking back at entrance shaft (from George Dawes)
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Looking back at entrance shaft (from George Dawes)
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In the main chamber and looking towards the second chamber. The main chamber is 26.5ft long x 9.5ft wide and 7ft high (from George Dawes)
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Main chamber and looking back at first chamber (from George Dawes)
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Air vent pipes. In the middle of the main chamber are three 6 inch glazed air vent pipes (from George Dawes)
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The original bunk beds still in situ (from George Dawes)
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Curved elephant iron set into brick. Concrete breezeblock and brick wall (from George Dawes)
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Air vent pipe at floor-level (from George Dawes)
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Last chamber looking out towards base of exit shaft (from George Dawes)
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Exit shaft (from George Dawes)
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Exit shaft (from George Dawes)
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Middleton Hall Stable block
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Middleton Estate path towards Stables
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Middleton Hall OB diagram (from Alan Williamson for DoB Project)
References

Defence of Britain Project by Alan Williamson and George Dawes

Images of OB are from 1996

Alan Williamson East Ridings Secret Resistance.