Tennants Auction House and Garden Rooms in Leyburn

For many, many years we have watched Tennants, now in Leyburn, grow and grow. It’s a wonderful facility for the Yorkshire Dales and we all appreciate what it has become. Geoff and I have been promising ourselves to go on a public walking tour of the building and very, very interesting it was too. We bought our tickets beforehand and armed and ready we arrived at the allotted time of eleven o’clock, there was just ten in our group all looking forward to discovering the secrets of the salerooms. Our guide, a director at Tennants, explained it would take about an hour to hear all and see all and so off we went upstairs to a private room for an initial talk and video. The video really took me back to when I was a little girl going to the auction sales with Mum and Dad at Middleham. A great drafty cold place, completely different to now. John and Rodney reminisced with tales going way back, really most enjoyable and I think I even shed a little tear! Great to hear about the history of the place though with lots of information forthcoming.

To quote from their website ‘The firm originated in Middleham, near Leyburn, where Edmund Tennant (born 1876) was a stonemason, grocer and agricultural merchant. His son Edmund expanded the business into auctioneering. The younger Edmund’s sons John and Rodney also became auctioneers, and in 1971 John established himself at Leyburn.’

After the video we were taken back downstairs, through the café and into the auction house itself and through to where valuations take place, then onwards to the large rooms where the auctions actually happen with, of course, the staff getting ready for the next sale. I think it was said that they have eighty sales a year! These rooms were all quite familiar to Geoff and I but then we were taken into the private rooms where everything starts from and where the sorting begins, this was very exciting for us! Ever onward and back into the Garden Rooms to have a tour of the downstairs and more chat. Lots of time for questions and discussion and it must have been an hour and a half later that we dispersed. One word of caution though, if you feel you would like to have lunch afterwards or coffee etc beforehand please do book a table as the café is always really busy. There is also a bistro but again always best to book.

Again to quote ‘The Garden Rooms at Tennants is the UK’s largest multi-purpose venue dedicated to weddings, conferences, events, auctions and exhibitions. Purpose built and open since 2015, The Garden Rooms is a stunning and unique extension to Tennants Auctioneers, the largest saleroom in Europe.’

If you’re here, do book a tour. Bookings are easy on their website or of course give them a call.

All our lovely Country Hideaways cottages are well within travelling distance to Tennants in Leyburn. Do call me, Nadine or my daughter Joanne, for friendly help and advice and to book your chosen cottage over the telephone, 01969 663559, or, of course, do book online if you prefer.

See you soon!