Cusworth Hall

Cusworth Hall sits within a landscape whose history stretches back far beyond the building we see today. Cusworth is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, and an earlier manor house or “Old Hall” is documented on the estate by 1327. The present Hall was built for William Wrightson from 1740, replacing the older house and establishing the grand country house that still dominates the site today. Designed initially by George Platt and later enlarged by James Paine, it became one of the most important Georgian houses in the area and is now Grade I listed. Its surrounding parkland, gardens and surviving historic features reflect centuries of change, meaning Cusworth is not simply an eighteenth-century building, but part of a much older landscape shaped by generations of people who have lived, worked and visited there.

Cusworth also has a much more personal connection to Orbis Community. Director Jonpaul Kirvan’s earliest memories of creativity and curation were formed through childhood visits to the Hall, returning again and again and instinctively looking for what had changed. Different displays, objects, rooms and small alterations became part of the experience, sometimes subtle and sometimes much more noticeable, but each one raised questions about why something had been moved, reinterpreted or presented differently and what that change added to the story of the place.

Long before words such as curation, heritage or cultural practice meant anything, those visits were already creating an understanding of how differently a historic space could be experienced through interpretation and display. A change in a room, an object moved into a different setting or a new interpretation could make you look again and notice something you had missed before. Those early sparks became part of a much wider creative practice built around curiosity, experimentation and a deep respect for the way our heritage can be preserved while continuing to inspire new ideas and new generations.

Huge thank you to Anne-Marie Knowles, Cultural Services Manager and Rachel Blake, Partnership & Engagement Manger - Culture, City of Doncaster Council. Their commitment to making Cusworth welcoming, engaging and meaningful to visitors really mirrors the values behind this project. It was clear from speaking with them how much thought goes into helping people connect with the Hall, its stories and its collections, and that shared passion has helped shape how we are developing the work.