This was my first visit to Belsay and it has a bit of everything and comprises of three different elements. A hall inspired by the architecture of ancient Greece, a medieval castle with rare wall paintings and magnificent gardens. The hall was enlarged in the early 17th century and subsequently superseded by a Greek Revival mansion. The two buildings are linked by a garden, much of which was created out of the quarries that supplied the stone for the new house.
Belsay is the creation of the Middleton family, over more than seven centuries. The Middletons were first recorded as owning Belsay in 1270 and although they moved out of the hall in 1962, the estate that surrounds the historic nucleus of the hall, castle and garden remains in their possession. the great fortified tower that still dominates the castle was built both as a statement of family pride and as a response to the conflict and unrest in this border region between England and Scotland. It was then extended into a rambling country house after the union of the tow kingdoms under King James 1 in 1603 brought relative peace. The Middletons lived in the castle until the completion of the new mansion, which was designed by the then owner Sir Charles Monck (1779-1867).*
Under the guardianship agreement which passed the care of the hall into government care in 1980, the hall is displayed without furnishings so that it reveals the fine craftsmanship that went into its construction.
*From the English Heritage guide book.
A very concise detailed history and explanation of this site that is less than 30 minutes drive from my house (With all the posts I’ve read on Blogger, this must be the closest to home … amazing). Belsay Hall is a wonderful place to go for an afternoon out sometimes unjustly underrated in the shadow of its nearby neighbour, Wallington Hall. The location provides a variety that is difficult to replicate elsewhere including the quarry garden walk. On certain peak weekends, Belsay host Art or furniture shows which give the Hall a bit of a curious “lived in” atmosphere.
That closeness to your home is quite a co-incidence. I love that part of the world. I really enjoyed the visit to Belsay (more pictures to come) and have never been to Wallington Hall although I have driven past it.
As you say CP, an architectural mix; a Teutonic flavour provides extra diversity. The fenestral imbalance is mitigated by fine craftsmanship.
It doesn’t show up in quite the same way in a photo, but the thing that struck me was the colour of the paint. It was rather bright and stood out.
Not the most attractive of places from the outside though.
Middleton family?
It was the yellow/orange paintwork I thought didn’t work…
I have not studied the Middleton family connections so I am not sure if there is a connection.