Shandy Hall above its doorway states that Sterne wrote "Tristram Shandy" and "A Sentimental Journey" at Shandy Hall. This is not entirely accurate, for two volumes of "Tristram Shandy" had already been published in 1759 before Sterne moved to Coxwold. The house is a Grade I listed building. It was extended and altered internally for Sterne and subject to restoration in 1960. The Hall is now administered by the Laurence Sterne Trust, a registered charity, and is open to the public. Shandy Hall featured in the 2006 film "A Cock and Bull Story", which was based on Sterne's book "Tristram Shandy". Shandy
Laurence Sterne He was involved in, and wrote about, local politics in 1742. His major publication prior to "Tristram Shandy" was the satire "A Political Romance" (1759), aimed at conflicts of interest within York Minster. A posthumously published piece on the art of preaching, "A Fragment in the Manner of Rabelais", appears to have been written in 1759. Rabelais was by far Sterne's favourite author, and in his correspondence he made clear that he considered himself as Rabelais' successor in humour writing, distancing himself from Jonathan Swift: I ... deny I have gone as far as Swift: he keeps a due distance