Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens

08.03.2025

We enjoyed our visit to Belsay Hall as there is so much to see with lovely walks. What really let's EH down is the cafes. They insist on using tea bags that contain polluting plastics by Twinnings & the bottles of water are also plastic. The tables info about sustainability & ethics but this really lets them down. The other issue is the lake of sustainable plant based foods. The National Trust are far better with good Clipper tea & excellent plant based food. Sadly we won't be renewing our membership

04.03.2025

What a fabulous place. We only had a few hours to look around, so we'll definitely be back. The staff on the front desk, Michelle and Lesley, are super friendly and knowledgeable. Michelle gave advice on where to start in the grounds, given that we didn't have a lot of time. The castle is brilliant. You can climb the stone steps all the way to the rooftop. The playpark has plenty of things to do and is suitable for kids of all ages. The cafe there had pleasant staff and delicious hot chocolate. The house is amazing, absolutely huge so leave plenty of time to explore. It is the nicest house I've ever been in. So well preserved. The gardens are lovely and will be glorious, come Summer. There's picnic benches for packed lunches. The parking charges £3 I think, for all day. A wonderful place.

03.03.2025

So we join English heritage and our first visit is going to be Belsay Hall, double checked the website, yes open every day until 4pm, arrived to find it closed!!

06.06.2018

Favourite plzce yo visit both with family and friends. BEAUTIFULLY maintained gardens. Beautiful day with friend. Coffee and bacon sandwich.

01.03.2025

Well we couldn't get there cos of rd work were in place unfortunately tried different directions but no. Shame was looking forward to seeing the place .

27.02.2025

Greek architecture in Northumberland! Unfurnished so the architecture is clearly on display in the main hall, with gorgeous gardens and a wonderful old castle ruin.

25.02.2025

Really nice gardens and nice hall. There is not many things to do inside, but gardens just wow

23.02.2025

Lovely place.

01.02.2025

Love the gardens and the play area is amazing. Something for everyone!

28.12.2024

Absolutely amazing santa experience, would 100% recommend taking your kids. Brilliant 👍

07.07.2021

I always love coming here. The hall is still in the process of being renovated in some rooms inside on the ground floor. The ground floor also includes a massive stairwell in Grecian style. The staircase itself has excellent lighting provided by the rooftop glass window. Upstairs is a maze of bedrooms, cleaning areas, wardrobes, bathrooms and hallways. The cellar has a steep staircase leading down to the wine room and other kitchen based rooms. Elsewhere on the grounds is a lovely well preserved Georgian period livery stables and coach house near to the hall itself. Cutting through the rear garden of the hall leads to a former quarry turned garden with trees and a Mexican Palm Tree. At the other side of the land is a small castle which wasn’t used for defensive purposes as it is far too small for such an ideal defensive feature. Instead, the castle was more of a feature for the adjacent house which is attached to it. The house was the former home of the Middleton Family who, after visiting Greece, came back with ideas on how to build a new home, which is now the hall itself. The castle has steep steps inside so watch your footing on the approach going up and down on the inside of the castle. Photos ©2018 Warren Woodhouse Photography.

15.12.2024

Love this place. Grounds are fantastic for the kids to run about in and hide amongst the trees. The play park is great, too. The castle and hall really set their imaginations going, and there are often events on.

13.12.2024

Always a delight, but little evidence of Christmas

08.12.2024

Exceptional site with interesting Hall (partly stripped out) and gardens. Will definitely visit again and take in the different seasons and the longer lake walk next time. Excellent cafe too, with helpful and knowledgeable staff cooking on site.

02.12.2024

Lovely walks around the gardens and fascinating period dwellings. Great for kids too

20.06.2022

A unique site with architecture reflecting history from 1370 through 1614 to early 19th century and an opportunity to explore a splendid quarry garden, woodland, formal gardens, swathes of rhododendron and azalea blossom, when in season, as well as a picturesque lake. A good place for lunches and cream teas. The Quarry Garden is home to a host of exotic Rhododendrons which would.not survive here without the shelter provided. 7th July 20. First visit of the year, sadly missing the wonderful displays of rhododendrons and azaleas due to the lockdown; however, the tranquillity and drama of the Quarry Garden greatly appreciated. 16th October 20: For the autumnal tints and lunch, did not disappoint on either count. 8th April 2022. Our early Spring visit. Renovations to the exterior fabric of the Hall so the building swathed in plastic and scaffolding. Admired the early, exotic rhodedendrons in the quarry garden, the situation offers these tender specimans the opportunity to thrive. The little patch of oxslips a delight. The forthcoming Easter holiday affording an Easter egg theme to the grounds. We enjoyed lunch, my usual sausage stotty not available, alas, but I tucked into my sausage bap with gusto. 27th May '22. A good time to see the impressive bank of rhododendrons opposite the Hall, which is undergoing roof refurbishment. The scaffolding and protective coverings obscure the views of the building. Access to the upper story allows the intrepid visitor the opportunity of using t,he covered slide, recently installed, an innovative addition of which my wife of and I did not avail ourselves! The wonderful Handerkerchief tree, Davidii Involucrata, resplendant with abundant "handkerchiefs", never fails to please. A useful explanatory board informs that the handkerchiefs are modified leaves called bracts. Lunch was a Cornish Pasty, mine had a beef filling, my wife a vegetable option.