GARDEN REMAINS OF PERHAPS C16 AND LATER DATE LIE AROUND AND TO THE WEST OF SOMERBY HOUSE. DURING THE TENTURE OF THE CUMBERWORTH FAMILY IN THE EARLY C15 THE MANOR HOUSE AT SOMERBY WAS A MAJOR RESIDENCE, AND CERTAINLY IN KEEPING WITH SIR THOMAS CUMBERWORTH'S POSITION AS HIGH SHERIFF AND MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT. THIS HOUSE WAS PRESUMABLY LOCATED CLOSE TO THE SITE OF THE LATER SOMERBY HOUSE OR POSSIBLY NEARER THE CHURCH. NO TRACE SURVIVES. THE MANOR WAS ACQUIRED BY THE ROSSITERS IN THE EARLY C16 AND THE FAMILY WAS RESIDENT FROM BEFORE 1550. THE HOUSE BECAME THE CENTRE OF AN EXTENSIVE LOCAL ESTATE. IN 1660 SIR EDMUND ROSSITER BUILT A NEW HOUSE OF CLASSICAL DESIGN ON THE SITE OF THE PRESENT ONE, WHICH WAS DEMOLISHED, AND THE PRESENT HOUSE WAS BUILT IN 1966. BOTH THE EARLIER HOUSES WERE PRESUMABLY SURROUNDED BY FORMAL GARDENS WHICH MAY IN PART SURVIVE AS THE AREA OF AMORPHOUS EARTHWORKS SOUTH- EAST OF SOMERBY HOUSE AND WHICH OVERLIE AND BLOCK THE MAIN HOLLOW WAY OF THE MEDIEVAL VILLAGE AND WHICH INCLUDE AT LEAST ONE ELONGATED TERRACE FEATURE. {1}{2}{3} Correspondence to Scunthorpe Museum from Mrs Varley of Lincolnshire Archives in September 1967 refers to documents related to the seventeenth century house that stood on the site of the present hall. Mrs Varley was in contact with The person who was, at that time, building the new house that now stands on the site. When excavations for the new house were in progress there were traces of brick foundations from a previous hall, although no pottery was found. These foundations were close to the surface. {4}