Belsay Awakes: Historic house and gardens back in bloom after major £3.4m conservation

English Heritage has revealed the results of the ‘Belsay Awakes’ work to conserve the hall, castle and coach house, and rejuvenate the renowned historic gardens.

Thanks to a grant of £3.4million from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, support from Garfield Weston Foundation and The Foyle Foundation, and other generous donations, there are also new family-friendly spaces and a children’s woodland play-and-learn area with an outdoor classroom and new interpretation across the site.

The hall’s original roof – which caused damp issues for more than two hundred years – has been replaced, the castle’s medieval stonework has been repaired and the gardens have been brought back to their glorious best by landscape designer and gardener Dan Pearson.

Working alongside Dan, the gardens team at Belsay have worked tirelessly to plant over 80,000 new plants that have created a beautiful burst of colour for visitors this summer.

Mark Douglas, English Heritage’s properties curator, said: “Although a remarkable architectural feat, Belsay Hall’s concealed gutters proved, over the next 200 years, to be its downfall – it appears that Sir Charles Monck (who owned the site from 1795 to 1867) hadn’t accounted for Northumberland’s harsh winters.

“It has been such a relief to finally banish the damp from the hall and safeguard Belsay for future generations.”

New interpretation centring around ‘The Wildman’ – a medieval mythical figure which features on the coat of arms of the Middleton family who owned Belsay for over 700 years – will bring the stories of the castle back to life with a projected animation and soundscape on the ground floor, which will be more accessible thanks to a new ramp.

In addition, the old coach house building has been restored and transformed into a welcoming new café with its own renewable energy and rainwater harvesting.

Speaking in relation to the gardens work, John Watkins, English Heritage’s head of gardens and landscapes, said: “With the help of international plantsman and designer Dan Pearson, we have rejuvenated the more formal gardens and Hall Woodland Garden.

“Dan’s plantsmanship and painterly eye have helped to bring out the individual character of the extensive garden areas, which will provide beauty and interest throughout the year.”