Manor of Northstead

Northstead lies on the North Bay of Scarborough in North Yorkshire, beside Peasholm Park and the Scarborough Open Air Theatre. The area once formed part of a medieval manor house and its surrounding fields in Scalby parish. The Crown took ownership in the 15th century under Richard III. By 1600 the house stood empty, used only by a shepherd until it collapsed. In 1921 Scarborough Corporation bought the land, which later became the lake and grounds of Peasholm Park opened in 1912. The title Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead survives as a ceremonial role. Since the 19th century it has been used to allow MPs to resign from the House of Commons. The post is one of two sinecures that disqualify an MP from sitting, the other being the Chiltern Hundreds. Chancellors of the Exchequer make the appointments, often alternating between the two posts to allow multiple resignations. Former Prime Minister David Cameron took the Northstead post when he left Parliament in 2016. Visitors to Peasholm Park find a municipal park laid out around a lake on the former manor site. The park opened in 1912 and hosts the Scarborough Open Air Theatre nearby. The theatre presents plays and performances in the open air during summer months. The park’s lake and gardens remain a quiet green space beside the North Bay shoreline. The area shows little trace of the old manor house, now covered by water and lawns.