Wallington Hall cellars on show to public for one day only

Jul 15 2010 by David Black, The Journal

“Cambo was very much at the heart of what was the disputed area patrolled and controlled by the Border Reivers. The Fenwick family who once lived here were central to all that, and I am sure participated in their fair share of Border raiding.

“The pele tower is thought to date back to at least the 13th century, with Tudor and Jacobean additions. But when the mansion was built the tower was demolished to ground floor level and then built over, and pretty much left as it was.

“It's astounding that this wonderful piece of our past has survived, and fascinating to think you can actually walk in the footsteps of one of the families that were at the heart of the Border Reiving legend.

“This is a one-off chance for people to see a part of Wallington that is normally hidden from view.”

For many years the labyrinth of cellars was used for storing wine and beer, until the 19th century when the Trevelyan family joined the Temperance movement and all alcohol was donated to Cambridge University for ‘scientific purposes.'

Saturday's cellar tours will run between 11am and 4pm, and cost £1.50 in addition to the normal Wallington admission charge.

The Festival of British Archaeology, which runs from Saturday until August 1 and is in its 20th year, includes more than 650 events such as excavations, living history pageants, exhibitions, hands-on workshops and talks.