Route: Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens
Area: Northumberland
Date of walk: 8th August 2019
Walkers: Andrew and Gilly
Distance: 3.5 miles
Ascent: 100 feet
Weather: Mostly sunny
Belsay Hall is owned and managed by English Heritage, and I must confess that I’d not heard of the place until today. After completing our walk at Allen Banks this morning, we were looking for ways to spend the afternoon and by chance noticed the name ‘Belsay Hall’ on our roadmap. Not knowing what to expect we drove from our base in Corbridge to Belsay and parked the car in the grounds
At the entrance to Belsay Hall the helpful and informative staff gave us an outline of the layout of the estate and a suggested walk visiting the main attractions. The estate comprises several interlinked elements: the Greek Revival mansion by the entrance, the formal gardens leading away from it, the unique quarry garden beyond it, and lastly the medieval castle. On the way back there’s an additional option of a walk through Crag Wood past the lake
We duly followed the recommended route, and the quarry garden in particular was a fascinating place. Huge walls towered above us as we walked through rock doorways and under arches planted with ferns and other plants gathered during expeditions by Sir Charles Monck, the original founder of the garden
We emerged from this area to the castle, where we climbed the spiral staircase of the main tower for a view over the surrounding countryside. At this far point of the walk we returned via a different waymarked route, made a short detour to Crag Wood and the lake, and then returned to the start
It was a fascinating visit, full of interest every step of the way, and I was glad to have belatedly discovered the place
Click on the icon below for a map showing the location of Belsay Hall (I’ve not shown a route as there are various possibilities and it’s best to wander around this place as your fancy takes you)
Scroll down – or click on any photo to enlarge it and you can then view as a slideshow
The stable block at the entrance to Belsay Hall, built from sandstone quarried on the estate
A view out to the surrounding parkland
Belsay Hall, built in 1817 - the Greek Revival design was inspired during an extended honeymoon in Greece by the then owner
The Hall replaced the adjacent Belsay Castle as the living accommodation of the Middleton family
The design is rather austere, resembling a stone box
We climb down into the lovely formal gardens...
Looking back to Belsay Hall
The sunken croquet lawn in the Winter Garden, still used by the local croquet club
A transition as we leave the Winter Garden and enter into the Quarry Garden
The path to the castle takes us through the unique Quarry Garden, much of which was created out of the quarries which supplied the stone for the hall
We pass through a rock doorway...
...and an archway
Moss, ferns and ivy add to the atmosphere of this fascinating space
We emerge to this view of Belsay Castle and its magnificent tower, some 70 feet high, and built of local sandstone
The castle interior...
We climb the spiral staircase in the tower for this view from the rooftop
We leave the castle and return to the hall, here looking across to Bantam Folly, a Gothic eyecatcher built in about 1757 for Sir William Middleton
The path follows a different route back through the Quarry Garden
At the end of the Quarry Garden we make a short detour to the Crag Wood walk, which is easily overlooked
We follow the path to the lake...
The lake - we don't have time for the full Crag Wood walk, so retrace our steps from here
We arrive back at Belsay Hall
A final look back into the formal garden at the end of a fascinating visit
