Crook Hall, Durham

Crook Hall is a Grade I listed house built in the 13th or 14th to 18th centuries, located in the Framwelgate area of the City of Durham.[1]

Not to be confused with Crook Hall near Consett, County Durham.

Crook Hall
The hall from its Georgian walled garden
General information
Coordinates54.7825°N 1.5747°W / 54.7825; -1.5747
Construction started13th-14th century
Completed18th century
Website
nationaltrust.org.uk/souter-lighthouse-and-the-leas/features/crook-hall-and-gardens
Listed Building – Grade I
Official nameCrook Hall
Designated6 May 1952
Reference no.1192563[1]

The oldest part is an open hall house dating from the 13th or 14th century, built in sandstone with a Welsh slate roof. It is the only known domestic open hall in County Durham. In the 17th century the hall was extended to form a Jacobean manor house; then in the 18th century a large brick Georgian house was appended to the 17th-century wing, making up a house of 11 bays in all. It is surrounded by English country style gardens.[1][2]

History
Inside the medieval hall

The Manor of Sydgate was granted in 1217 to Aimery, son of the then Archdeacon of Durham, from whose family it passed to Peter del Croke, after whom it is named. From him it passed to the Billingham family, who occupied the hall for some 300 years. In 1657 it passed to the Mickletons until it was bought in 1736 by the Hoppers of Shincliffe. Since then there has been a succession of different owners until it was bought in a semi-derelict condition by the Cassels in 1928.[3] The building is reputedly haunted by the "White Lady".

In 1995, the property was bought by Keith and Maggie Bell who progressively opened the hall and gardens to the public, becoming a major wedding venue. Visitors from around the world come to wander around the gardens as well as the Hall. The gardens are seen as one of the best in the north of England. Keith Bell wrote a book in 2017 called Blood, Sweat and Scones – two decades at Crook Hall (ISBN 978-1-78803-528-6). In it he describes their period of ownership, and the trials and tribulations of owning a Grade I listed building and creating a successful business/tourist attraction.

In June 2020 the property closed to the public as the business went into liquidation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns.[4] The property was subsequently put on the market with a guide price of £1.8 million.[5] On 28 March 2022, the National Trust announced that it had acquired the property, with the intention of re-opening it to visitors.[6]

References
  1. Historic England. "Crook Hall (Grade I) (1159909)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  2. "The House". Crook Hall and Gardens. Retrieved 15 April 2019.
  3. "A history of Croke or Crook Hall, Sydgate, Durham City". Archived from the original on 9 October 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2014.
  4. Banks, Georgia (19 June 2020). "Crook Hall and Gardens, Durham, to close down for good". Northern Echo. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  5. Hunt, Moira (13 June 2021). "See inside as £1.8m Crook Hall goes on the market". Darlington and Stockton Times. Retrieved 21 October 2021.
  6. Engelbrecht, Gavin (28 March 2022). "National Trust plans to reopen Durham's Crook Hall". thenorthernecho.co.uk. The Northern Echo. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
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