📌 Belsay, Northumberland
★★★★
Accessed from the main road between Newcastle and Jedburgh, Belsay Hall is surely one of English Heritage’s best visitor attractions, with lots to see. A Grecian mansion and the medieval castle which preceded it are both open to the public (and to an extent, the elements: expect bare walls rather than lavish interiors), connected by fascinating and extensive gardens. The estate belongs to the Middleton family, who have owned the land almost continuously since the 13th century; they soon constructed the castle “pele tower” to adjoin an older manor house, later upgrading the attached property into a fashionable residence, and eventually moving into their newly-built hall in 1817. All of this building work required a site from which to quarry the stone, and the resulting excavations in between the two buildings was transformed into a clever quarry garden beneath the rocky “walls” of remaining rock – a truly unique, dramatic place.
🌍 Location
📌 Off the A696 at Belsay
🧭 O.S. Grid Reference: NZ 088784
🛰️ GPS coordinates: 55.099627,-1.863073
🚌 Infrequent bus to Belsay (1 mi from hall, via grounds)
🚗 Car park
📝 Key info
⌚ Daily, April to October & February school holidays; Wednesday to Sunday in March; generally weekends outwith these dates – see official website for details
🎫 £13.60+ adult / £8.10+ child depending on season / free for English Heritage members – discount for booking online in advance
