Belsay Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Belsay Hall |
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| Type | Country house |
| Location | Belsay |
| OS grid reference | NZ087783 |
| Area | Northumberland |
| Built | 1810-1817 |
| Architect | Sir Charles Monck |
| Architectural style(s) | Greek revival |
| Owner | English Heritage |
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Listed Building – Grade I
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| Official name: Belsay Hall | |
| Designated | 27 Aug 1952 |
| Reference no. | 1304489 |
| Official name: Belsay Hall | |
| Designated | 1 January 1985 |
| Reference no. | 1001042 |
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Belsay Hall is a beautiful old country house in Belsay, Northumberland, England. It was built in a style called Regency. What makes it really special is that it was the very first country house in Britain to be built completely in the new Greek revival style.
Belsay Hall is a Grade I listed building. This means it's super important historically. It was built to replace the nearby Belsay Castle and an older hall. Both are part of the same large estate.
Contents
The Story of Belsay Hall
Belsay Hall was built between 1810 and 1817. It was designed by Sir Charles Monck, who lived in the nearby Belsay Castle. He might have had some help from an architect named John Dobson.
Inspired by Ancient Greece
Sir Charles Monck got his ideas for the house during his two-year honeymoon in Greece. He was very inspired by the buildings he saw there. He especially liked the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens. He wanted Belsay Hall to look like those ancient Greek temples.
The house is made from a type of stone called ashlar. It has a roof made of Lakeland slate. The style is called Greek Doric, which is a classic Greek design.
How the House Was Built
The main part of Belsay Hall is about 100 feet (30 meters) square. There's a smaller kitchen area attached to the north side. From the outside, the house looks like it has two floors. But there's actually a hidden third floor inside the roof. This secret floor was for the servants who worked there.
In the 1970s, the part of the house where the servants lived had a big problem with dry rot. After fixing the damage, that part of the house was left as a weatherproof shell. This allows visitors to see how the house was constructed. The Middleton family lived in Belsay Hall until 1962.
Belsay Hall Today
Today, Belsay Hall is unfurnished. This means it doesn't have furniture inside. It's kept in a special way called "benign decay." This means only the most important repairs are done to keep it safe. This unique approach lets visitors see the house's structure clearly. It also makes it a cool place for special art shows each summer.
Exploring the Gardens
Belsay Hall has amazing gardens. Some are formal, with neat designs, and others are more natural. One of the most famous is the linear Quarry Garden. This garden was created in an old stone quarry.
You can visit the Quarry Garden, the ground floor of the Hall, and the old Castle. There's also a cafe where you can get a snack. The gardens are also very important, listed as Grade I on the Historic England Park and Garden Register.
Visiting Belsay Hall
Belsay Hall is managed by English Heritage. It's open to the public, so you can go and explore it yourself!
In 2023, English Heritage finished a big two-year project. They put a new roof on the hall and did a lot of work to make the gardens even better.
Images for kids
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The Yew Garden, Belsay Hall.
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Pillar Hall atrium, Belsay Hall.
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Quarry Garden, Belsay Hall.
