A FAMILY'S labour of love has turned a dilapidated historic hall into what aims to be one of the region's finest wedding venues.
Just three years ago, the Grade II-listed Middleton Hall was a tumbledown shadow of its former self, having been left to fall into a state of disrepair.
The hall near Belford, Northumberland, was formerly owned by the Greenwich Trust and had been a home for recovering naval officers after the Second World War. But Blyth couple Brian and June Morton bought the crumbling property in 2006 with visions of carrying out a multi-million-pound restoration.
North East entrepreneurs Brian and June, who both come from mining families, managed to acquire the rolling estate, thought to have been on the market for around £8m.
The couple made their millions building up and then selling their building services company David Wilkinson Building Contractors, which carried out work all over the country in the banking and retail high street sector.
Brian said: “We have been through all the emotions a project of this size brings, from loving it at first sight to the organisation and start of the project.
“With one of the severest winters in recent history, trying to preserve and restore the damaged original historic features of the house proved troublesome. It had every possible problem – wet rot, dry rot, woodworm, leaking roof, ivy growing into the roof and no heating or electricity. We hope it will now rival the best wedding and conference venues in the North.”
Middleton Hall has undergone a restoration totalling more than £1m to transform it from a near ruin to a luxury venue. The hall is being managed by the Mortons’ 24-year-old daughter Ashley, a Sunderland University law graduate.
She said: “We are not a bed and breakfast and nor are we a hotel, what we offer is a country house residence where individual parties can come here and be the only residence and so be Lord and Lady of the Manor if they want. We can even provide a butler, chef and housemaid to make it a truly memorable stay.”
Set in 30 acres of woodland the hall boasts 10 bedrooms with two lakes for private fishing and a walled Victorian garden.
A wedding open day will be held at the hall on September 4 for couples interested in marrying at the venue.
