Picture of Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens
Caption: B E L S A Y H A L L
Caption: When Richard suggested going to visit the Quarry Garden at Belsay Hall in Northumberland, I knew the garden was going to be exciting. Richard had visited before and raved about this garden created within a quarry, which was unlike anything he'd seen before. This is a bit of a tease (sorry!) as that's for another story.
What I hadn't realised was that I was going to be so intrigued by Belsay Hall itself.
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Caption: The gardens and
grounds, including
the quarry garden,
are dog-friendly.
Caption: Belsay Hall is now in the care of English Heritage and is one of the most fascinating places I've visited. Let me explain. Usually when you visit a stately home, you find an interior that's been refurbished and fully furnished. It's a glimpse into the way a house would have looked in its heyday.
But Belsay Hall isn't like that.
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Caption: You enter via the old stable block, arriving into a courtyard that leads to the house. Belsay Hall dates from 1817 and was built for the Middleton family from the stone hewn from the neighbouring quarry. The mansion was designed by the then-owner Sir Charles Monck, formerly Middleton (1779–1867) in the Greek-revival style, having been inspired by Sir Charles' extended honeymoon trip to Greece.
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Caption: The unfurnished Pillar Hall with its light-filled atrium sits at the centre of the house. The golden hues of the stonework here are just stunning.
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Caption: When we visited, Belsay Hall was hosting an exhibition called Outside In, an art installation inspired by the landscape.
The Pillar Hall was home to this incredible piece: 'Fan Construction' by Halima Cassell, made in cold-cast resin and iron. The information on this installation said: "This is a modular piece that towers skywards giving a sense of the infinite. The rusted patina of the iron softens the lines of this very architectural structure."
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Caption: The rooms in the ground level of the house had been used to display sculptures at the time of our visit, but what was particularly interesting was that the entire house had been left unfurnished. When Belsay Hall was passed to English Heritage in 1980 there was a stipulation in the guardianship agreement that the house should be left as it was, unfurnished, in its original state.
This has made for an incredibly atmospheric interior. Richard, Harris and Bracken waited outside while I explored.
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Caption: These Delft tiles
were a favourite
moment for me.
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Caption: The original detailing in this house is beautiful. The tall windows are framed with wooden shutters and there are marble fireplaces. Some rooms feel grand; others feel raw, unfinished.
If you love period detailing, if you enjoy the bones of a building, if you relish spaces that are stripped back, then Belsay Hall makes for a fascinating place to wander.
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Caption: This installation was also by Halima Cassell. In an interview with English Heritage, Cassell said: "The piece I'm exhibiting at Belsay is my reflection on the shared commonality of the human race; we are superficially different and yet fundamentally the same. The different clays were gathered from landscapes around the world; the rich diversity of texture and hue reflecting the geology and climate of their places of origin."
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Caption: "...we are superficially different yet fundamentally the same" Halima Cassell
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Caption: #selfie
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Caption: This section of the house had been stripped back to its stone walls, and minus the floor levels in places. Please excuse the grainy video to follow - this whole area was darker thanks to the bare stone.
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Caption: I spotted this peeling wallpaper - a hint of what was to come.
Caption: We returned to Belsay Hall after exploring the gardens later in the afternoon. By this stage there was no one any else in the house.
Stay tuned for part two.
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Caption: #stelleruk
