In 1611, a grand new mansion at Thornton Abbey suddenly collapsed, but why? Join Dr Alastair Oswald as he leads a fascinating tour into the rise and fall of Sir Vincent Skinner, an ambitious, self-made Puritan who built his dream home on former church land. Was its destruction really an act of divine vengeance, as some believed? This tour uncovers the hidden truth behind the mystery. We’ll explore the financial troubles that dragged Skinner into mounting debt, the dramatic unraveling of his fortune, and the possibility that local landowner Margaret Winn dismantled the house to reclaim her loan.

This tour is graded as moderate access due to uneven terrain.