Wallington Hall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Wallington Hall
Type	Country house
Location	Cambo
OS grid reference	NZ 02880 84191
Area	Northumberland
Built	1688
Rebuilt	1735–1745
Architect	Daniel Garret
Architectural style(s)	Palladian
Owner	National Trust
Listed Building – Grade I
Official name: Wallington Hall
Designated	6 May 1952
Reference no.	1042869
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Wallington is a beautiful old country house and gardens. It is located about 12 miles (19 km) west of Morpeth in Northumberland, England. You can find it near the village of Cambo.

Since 1942, Wallington has been looked after by the National Trust. It was given to them by Sir Charles Philips Trevelyan, along with its land and farms. Wallington is also a Grade I listed building, which means it's a very important historic building.

The History of Wallington Hall

Early Owners and Changes

The Wallington estate was first owned by the Fenwick family, starting in 1475. In 1688, Sir John Fenwick, 3rd Baronet had money problems. He decided to sell Wallington Hall and the rest of his family's land.

He sold it to Sir William Blackett. Sir William paid £4,000 and also agreed to pay Sir John and his wife, Mary Fenwick, £2,000 every year for the rest of their lives. Sir William was very happy with this deal because he found lead on the land, which made him very rich!

Rebuilding the House

The original house at Wallington was a very old type of building called a hall house. It even had an ancient defensive tower called a pele tower. However, this old house was pulled down and rebuilt. You can still see the cellars from the early medieval house today.

The house was rebuilt again in a grand style called Palladian style. This was done for Sir Walter Blackett by an architect named Daniel Garret. Later, in 1777, the house passed to the Trevelyan family.

A Place for Great Minds

When Pauline Jermyn married the famous naturalist Sir Walter Calverley Trevelyan, Wallington Hall became a popular place for writers and scientists to visit. It was a center for culture. Many important people came to Wallington, including artists from the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

Sir Charles Philips Trevelyan inherited Wallington from his father, Sir George Otto Trevelyan, in 1928. Sir Charles was an important member of the government in the late 1920s. He was married to Lady Mary Trevelyan, who was often called "Molly."

Exploring Wallington Hall

The central hall inside Wallington, showing some of the murals

Wallington Hall is surrounded by 100 acres (40 hectares) of beautiful parkland. This area includes a wooded valley (called a dene), pretty lakes, green lawns, and a recently updated walled garden.

Inside the house, you can see amazing ceilings in the dining and drawing rooms. These ceilings are decorated in the rococo style by an Italian artist named Pietro Lafranchini .

Other interesting things to see include:

• The desk where Thomas Babington Macaulay wrote his famous book, History of England. Thomas was the brother-in-law of Sir Charles Trevelyan.
• A large collection of old dollhouses.
• Eight large murals in the central hall. These paintings show the history of Northumberland and were created by William Bell Scott.

The National Trust also owns the land around the house. In the past, a farm shop on the estate sold food from these farms and others nearby. The farm shop closed in 2012.

Wildlife at Wallington

Wallington is becoming a home for more native wildlife! This is part of a big project called "Wilder Wallington." The goal is to bring back native plants and animals, and to help nature recover in the area.

Beavers Return

In July 2023, a family of beavers was released into a special 24-hectare (59-acre) area. This area is on a small river called a tributary of the Hart Burn, right in the middle of the estate. This was the third time the National Trust has released beavers onto one of its properties.

Pine Martens on the Move

In November 2023, a project called "Martens on the Move" announced that pine martens are being brought to the 5,231-hectare (12,926-acre) estate. This is an effort to help these animals live in England again. This project received a large grant of £1.2 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Future Plans for Wildlife

The Wilder Wallington project has big plans for the future. One goal is to plant one million trees by 2030. So far, about 115,000 trees have already been planted! Other animals that might be brought back to Wallington include water voles.

See also

• West Grange Hall