Belsay Hall

The house was built between 1810 and 1817 for Sir Charles Monck (then of Belsay Castle close by) to his own design, possibly assisted by architect John Dobson. It is built in ashlar with a Lakeland slate roof in the Greek Doric style. Monck modelled his design on the style of buildings he had seen during his two-year honeymoon in Greece, particularly the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens. The house measures 100 ft square, with a lower kitchen wing attached to the north side. Externally the house appears to have two stories, although there is an additional storey hidden within the roof space to provide servant accommodation. This service side of the house was badly affected by dry rot in the…

The entire Belsay Hall house is unfurnished and maintained in a condition of benign decay, with only necessary structural maintenance undertaken. This allows it to be used as a setting for bespoke art installations each summer. There are extensive gardens, formal and naturalistic, such as the linear Quarry Garden. Belsay Hall is administered by English Heritage and is open to the public. In 2023 English Heritage completed a two-year conservation project has included a new roof for the hall and substantial work on the gardens.