Belsay Castle is a 14th century medieval castle situated at Belsay

Belsay

Belsay is a village in Northumberland, England. It is situated about to the north-west of Ponteland on the A696 which links the village with Newcastle upon Tyne and Jedburgh....

, Northumberland

Northumberland

Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. It is a Scheduled Ancient Monument

Scheduled Ancient Monument

In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a 'nationally important' archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorized change. The various pieces of legislation used for legally protecting heritage assets from damage and destruction are grouped under the term...

 and a Grade I listed building.

The main structure, a substantial three story rectangular pele tower

Peel tower

Peel towers are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, intended as watch towers where signal fires could be lit by the garrison to warn of approaching danger...

 with rounded turrets and battlements was constructed about 1370, and was the home of the Middleton family

Middleton Baronets

There have been six Baronetcies created for persons with the surname Middleton, four in the Baronetage of England, one in the Baronetage of Great Britain and one in the Baronetage of the United Kingdom...

. In 1614 Thomas Middleton built a new manor house attached to the tower. A west wing was added in 1711 but was later largely demolished in 1872 by Sir Arthur Middleton

Sir Arthur Middleton, 7th Baronet

Sir Arthur Edward Middleton, M.P., 7th Baronet was a British MP.He was born Arthur Edward Monck, the son of Charles Atticus Monck of Belsay Castle, Northumberland, by his wife Laura, daughter of Sir Mathew White Ridley 3rd Bt., M.P., of Blagdon Hall, Northumberland...

 when the remainder of the house was considerably altered.

The castle was abandoned as a residence by the family in the early 19th century when Sir Charles Monck

Sir Charles Monck, 6th Baronet

Sir Charles Miles Lambert Monck, 6th Baronet succeeded to the Baronetcy of Belsay Castle on the death of his father in 1795...

 built Belsay Hall

Belsay Hall

Belsay Hall is a 19th century country mansion located at Belsay, Northumberland. It is a Grade I listed building.-History:The house was built between 1810 and 1817 for Sir Charles Monck to a design by architect John Dobson...

 close by. It is administered by English Heritage

English Heritage

English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...

 and is open the public. The interiors were largely removed and it was then used as a ready-made folly

Folly

In architecture, a folly is a building constructed primarily for decoration, but either suggesting by its appearance some other purpose, or merely so extravagant that it transcends the normal range of garden ornaments or other class of building to which it belongs...

, as was fashionable among the aristocracy at the time, serving as setting for garden parties and other entertainments.

External links

• Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens - official site at English Heritage
• Find public transport to Belsay Hall - buses stop at Belsay Shops a short walk from the Hall