Visitors dream of new life for hall
Jul 14 2008 by Sam Wood, The Journal
VISITORS to Seaton Delaval Hall have backed National Trust plans to buy the estate – and have come up with a number of ideas on how it can be used.
The hall near Seaton Sluice, Northumberland, is being sold by owner Lord Hastings. The National Trust has offered £6.9m to save the building, if a national fundraising campaign can raise the remaining £6.3m, with £1m coming from the North East.
A number of families from the region were visiting the hall yesterday on one of its regular openings to the public. All the visitors said more should be made of the building, although they disagreed over what would be best for the site.
Peter Rippingale, 43, of Heaton, Newcastle, was visiting with his wife Lisa, 43, and daughter Jennifer, eight. He said he felt a museum and art gallery might be appropriate.
“This is something unique to the area and could become a real asset. An art gallery may be a good use of the hall, but I would like to see some variety.
“There needs to be something for children to do, a play area or something like that.
“I also think a museum would be good, explaining how the wealth was created to build the hall in the first place, something that would put the hall in context.”
Elaine Cato, 57, of Wellfield, Whitley Bay, was also in favour of provision for arts.
She said: “It’s such a well kept secret, it should play a much bigger part in local life. An art gallery sounds like something which would suit the place.
“And I understand they used to hold medieval banquets here in the past. If they could bring something like that back, I’m sure it would be popular.”
Dorothy Carlton, 61, of Holywell, Whitley Bay thought the area should be kept peaceful.
She said: “This is the first time I have come up here. There is nothing else like it in the area. It is just beautiful and it could be a really nice focal point for the area to get more people to visit the area.
“I wouldn’t like to see anything too much for children. I think it should be kept quiet and peaceful. ”
The trust has just six months to raise funds to acquire the building. The hall is rated as a masterpiece by the architect Sir John Vanbrugh, who started work in 1718 on the project which was to take more than 10 years to complete.
The National Trust is aiming not only to turn it into a major visitor attraction, but also to use the building and surrounding 500 acres for a wide range of public activities and events. Among the ideas put forward for the site so far are the creation of work and exhibition space for artists, a centre for health and wellbeing and a garden attraction similar to The Alnwick Garden.
