“This is the first house in the UK to be exclusively dated from the wood, and it shows there to be nothing earlier than 1510 and nothing later than 1588.” This method of tree-ring dating (dendrochronology) eliminated any doubt that the house was witness to the preparations of these early colonisers of the new world.”It is wonderful late at night because I can imagine Gosnold preparing for his voyage. “We have had all the panels dated which involved 17 experts,” explains Hagger. Candle burns on the wood are clearly visible and it is a small leap of the imagination to picture him planning his epic voyage. This was 13 years before the Mayflower,” explains Hagger.At least four rooms at Otley Hall are unchanged since Gosnold’s time. “The journey was terrible and took far longer than Gosnold had planned, but the settlement was successful even though he died three months later from dysentry and swamp fever. Bartholomew Gosnold, whose first voyage in 1602 is thought to have inspired The Tempest, left England in 1606 and established a crucial settlement in Virginia, known today as Jamestown. Four casts of the Globe spent a few days here and afterwards they found that during certain scenes images of the house and grounds would come to mind.”But it is the exploits of the first occupants of Otley Hall that are of particular historical significance.

I stood in the summerhouse at night dressed in a priest’s garb for Hamlet and acted as standard-bearer for a duel in Julius Caesar. “We would improvise, filling in those bits that Shakespeare didn’t write. It was during Shakespeare’s lifetime that Otley Hall took shape, and to this day remains so remarkably true to its Tudor roots that time spent there enhances his plays for the actors who when on stage can recall the experience of a sword-fight in a ploughed field or wandering through a garden perfect in its historical detail.
Nicholas Hagger , historian and author and owner of Otley Hall, often found himself caught up in the mood. In all likelihood the actors performing at the Globe Theatre in London this summer will have a picture of Otley Hall, a Tudor house in Suffolk, in mind as they battle it out in Richard II or follow the twists and turns of The Taming of the Shrew. A large corner terrace has ground-floor accommodation for the owner, and three flatlets above, all currently tenanted; £149,950. Both at CPH.The ManorA two-bed first-floor flat in the converted 17th century Hunmanby Hall near Filey Bay, an estate with sports and leisure facilities, golf course and woodland; £170,000 at Carter Jonas.Estate agentsAstin’s, 01947 821122; Carter Jonas (York), 01904 627436; CPH, 01723 352235; Goodalls, 01723 373456..

Slightly cheaper is a Grade II-listed three-bed house with attic and basement, seeking offers over £200,000; Astin’s.Bedsits and flatletsAn attractive detached period house currently subdivided into two flats and five bedsits has planning permission for conversion to five self-contained flats; guide price is £165,000. (The agent recommends solicitor’s advice for freehold flats.) A two-bed leasehold conversion flat with panoramic sea views is £175,000, and a four-bed semi is £185,000.WhitbyA one-bed flat in a turreted detached house, £95,000. Bungalows and three-bed houses are between £120,000 and £175,000. A two-bed flat overlooking the former Carr Hall, a development with gardens and tennis court, £229,500.

At Goodall’s, a large one-bed conversion freehold flat occupying most of the ground floor in a three-storey building is £89,950. North Yorkshire Moors Railway is a scenic historic steam line, and there are miniature railways at Northstead Gardens or Ruswarp, in Whitby.MusuemsScarborough Museums & Gallery consists of the Wood End Natural History Museum, the Art Gallery and the Rotunda Museum of archaeology and Roman history. Captain James Cook first set sail for his worldwide explorations from Whitby, and the town’s Memorial Museum has items associated with the explorer.Prices: flatsA three-bed terrace is £73,000, a two-bed house in a modern development is £92,500, and a two-bed bungalow is £92,000 at CPH. Pindar Leisure Centre is three miles from the town centre.Family funKids can choose between Atlantis, which has water slides, rapids and outdoor pools, or Kinderland, a giant play and activity park. There is a traditional indoor market six days a week, and the Vaults has second-hand, craft and specialist shops.EntertainmentThe Futurist, the YMCA and other small venues double as cinemas and theatres.