Blackwell Grange facts for kids
Blackwell Grange is a historic building in Darlington, England. It has a long and interesting past, dating back centuries. Today, it is a hotel, but it was once a grand family home. Many important people have lived here or visited. The building has seen many changes over the years.
A Home Through the Ages
The Allan family owned Blackwell Grange for a very long time. Their family history goes back to the year 1290. George Allan bought Blackwell Grange in 1693. It was a large estate with a beautiful house.
Between 1717 and 1722, George added a new part, called the south wing. He built it to welcome his eldest son and his new wife. George died in 1753. His daughter, Ann Allan, then owned Blackwell Grange. People called her "Good Miss Allan." She was known for being very kind. When she died in 1785, local newspapers wrote about how much she would be missed. They said she used her wealth to help everyone around her. She always helped those in need.
Ann left her properties to her cousin, James Allan. James and his son, George Allan, were very interested in history. This George Allan was born in 1736 and was known as 'The Antiquary'. They spent much of their lives collecting historical items. These items were about the history of their county. The collection stayed at Blackwell Grange until 1822. It was then sold for £400 to the Literary and Philosophical Society of Newcastle upon Tyne. This collection later helped start the Hancock Museum in Newcastle.
After George 'The Antiquary' died in 1800, his son, also named George, inherited the property. This George Allan was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1813 to 1818. An MP is a person elected to represent people in the country's government.
Sir Henry Havelock inherited the Blackwell estates in 1880. He was a cousin of Henry Allan. When he got the house, he added 'Allan' to his own name. One of the most famous people from this family was Sir Anthony Havelock-Allan. He was born at Blackwell Estate in 1904. He became a brilliant film producer. He helped create Cine Guilds. Some of his early films include Brief Encounter and Great Expectations. Later, he produced Up the Junction, Romeo and Juliet, and Ryan's Daughter.
The Havelock-Allan family owned Blackwell Grange from 1880 to 1953. In 1954, the furniture was sold. In 1955, Darlington Corporation bought the property for £37,320. It then became part of Darlington College of Technology. In 1971, Blackwell Grange became a hotel. It opened its doors in 1972. The hotel quickly became famous. It was chosen for an important meeting. This meeting was held by William Whitelaw, who worked for the government in Northern Ireland. The goal was to try and end a conflict there.
After being owned by a few different companies, Blackwell Grange is now owned by Bruhenny Hotels. In 2018, they started to make the grand house look beautiful again.
The Tartan Lady
A famous story about Blackwell Grange involves a painting. In 1745, King George II's son, William Augustus, the Duke of Cumberland, stayed a night at Blackwell Grange. He was on his way to Scotland to fight the Battle of Culloden. He stayed there again in 1746 on his way back south.
The story says that on this second visit, the Duke brought a special thank-you gift from Scotland. He gave Blackwell Grange an original oil painting. This painting was known as The Tartan Lady. It hung on the stairs at Blackwell Grange for hundreds of years. But because of its "ghostly stories," it was taken down. The original painting was lost from the property. However, there were photographs of it. These photos helped create a new copy of The Tartan Lady painting. This new painting now hangs proudly in the hotel's reception area.
