10 Reasons to Visit Seaton Delaval Hall

*This is a paid collaboration with Seaton Delaval Hall

Seaton Delaval Hall is a Grade I listed house in Northumberland. Situated just a few miles from my home in Cramlington, I remember driving past as a child and being told to look out for the infamous white lady who allegedly haunts the property - a girl who fell in love with the Heir to the Hall but died with a broken heart as the marriage was forbidden. I am sure I spotted her looking out of a window once! The hall was closed to the public during my childhood and it was one of those places you'd pass time and time again and wonder if you'd ever set foot inside. 

During the early 00s, I remember there being lots of fundraising events across the North East trying to help the National Trust raise enough cash to take control of the property and open it's doors to the public once again. Whether we were visiting Blyth town fair day or a community fete, it felt like there was always someone there with a bucket collecting funds for the hall. I always donated and crossed my fingers that one day, we'd be able to visit. 

Fast-forward to May 2010, and after raising a whopping £6.3 million, the National Trust was able to open it's doors to the public for the first time in decades.

We're National Trust members and Seaton Delaval Hall is the site closest to us. I probably visit a couple of times a year and with every visit, there is always something new to see. The restoration of the hall is most-definitely a work in progress but it really seems to have been making a lot of progress recently. I've visited Seaton Delaval Hall twice already this summer and both times I have been impressed with the increased range of activities for families. I know it's one of the smaller National Trust properties in our region but Seaton Delaval Hall should most definitely be on your radar - it's a fab day out for kids and especially good for little legs who should manage to walk around the whole site. 

10 Reasons to Visit Seaton Delaval Hall 

1 - Make and do Sundays 

Every Sunday (and additional dates throughout school holidays), children can enjoy a FREE craft in the resources barn. These crafts are always simple yet fun and actually provide us with ideas for home too. The volunteers are always on hand to help (ideal if you don't have a crafty bone in your body like me) and there are plenty of materials too. The crafts are seasonal so you can expect to make Halloween-themed crafts in October or Christmas crafts in December or linked to school holiday activities. We recently enjoyed making our own wands. Most places would ask for a donation or charge a couple of £ for this kind of activity and I love that it's avialable to enjoy at no additional cost here. Check here to see the list of crafts planned over the next few months.....

2 - Beautiful gardens and a house for all seasons

The gardens of Seaton Delaval Hall are always a delight to walk around. From the ancient weeping willow tree to beautiful roses and the laburnum arch - the garden is always stunning in all seasons. 

The house is part-restored (and a work in progress) and is always interesting to walk through and imagine the grand parties and soirees that must have happened inside of the four walls over the years. It's often decorated in line with the seasons and we love looking for ghosts in the basement. 

3 - School holiday events programme 

The events at Seaton Delaval Hall have massively improved over the years and I'd say it's easy to spend a full day here in the school holidays now. This summer sees a variety of themed weeks taking place - we visited during magic week and enjoyed a magic show and magical costs at no additional cost. Other themed weeks this summer include:

• 13 - 19 August | Drama week - pop-up tales and musical performances plus make your own puppets
• 20 - 26 August | Circus week - taster circus skills sessions plus make your own cup and ball
• 27 August - 2 September | Mischief & mayhem week - slime making and pop-up theatre

If you like to plan ahead, there are already early announcements for Halloween events and October Ghost Hunting too - see here for details. 

4 - Trails to follow  

Whatever the time of year, there always seems to be some kind of trail to follow. Whether this be the traditional egg hunt over Easter or a summer trail through the gardens, my three love doing this kind of thing and it's always a way to see aspects of the hall that you may have otherwise overlooked. 

5 - Homemade cake 

The cafe at Seaton Delaval Hall is small but I love the cafe garden where kids can play games and grown-ups can sit on the tables and enjoy a slice of homemade cake and a hot drink. You can also buy sandwiches, scones and kids picnics or bring your own picnic to enjoy in the gardens if preferred. 

6 - Natural and imaginative play

Seaton Delaval Hall doesn't' have a large play area (yet) but there are lots of options for imaginative and natural play. Running through tunnels, playing on steppy stones in the wood and rolling down hills - all part of the fun and charm of Seaton Delaval Hall. A few people have mentioned they haven't visited Seaton Delaval Hall because it doesn't have a park but I can hand on heart say there is still lots of places for kids to explore and although the new planned play area will be a welcome addition, don't put the lack of play areas put you off visiting for the time being. 

7 - Outdoor games to play 

When I visited Seaton Delaval Hall with my toddler nephew during term time (check out this Facebook video to see what we got up to), we enjoyed playing with the games and toys in the cafe courtyard. There were tennis sets and hobby horses and we had lots of fun. Visiting during the school holidays was a different kettle of fish though and there were LOADS of outdoor game chests for kids to play with in both the paddock and across the whole site. Who doesn't love a good ball game? Playing with these toys was a real highlight for us (and again, is included with admission). 

8 - Exciting plans ahead 

There are going to be a fair few changes at Seaton Delaval Hall across the next three years thanks to a £3.7 million lottery grant which has been provided to bring new life to the hall. As well as repairs, part of the funding is going to be used to design a brand new play area - with William Hardie from Channel 4's Amazing Spaces and Shed of the Year heading up the project, it's going to be fantastic! Read more about future plans here.

9 - Wildlife haven  

As mentioned earlier, Seaton Delaval Hall is only a few miles away from my home in Northumberland yet it feels like it's in the middle of the English Countryside. It's a sprawling estate with formal gardens, meadows and woodland habitats. There are five species of bats nesting at Seaton Delaval Hall and regular nature and bat walks run throughout the year. We love saying hello to the horses in the neighbouring fields, wandering through the community allotment and spotting lots of colourful butterflies. 

10 - Perfect spot for an ice cream 

During peak periods, there's an ice cream kiosk open by the pond selling refreshments and ice creams. One of the best spots to enjoy an ice cream in the North East I think - there are deckchairs and beautiful views of the gardens and hall. Make sure you bring some change. 

I could go on. If you haven't visited Seaton Delaval Hall in a while,  you're a regular or maybe you've never visited before, I can highly recommend making plans to spend an afternoon here this summer. It's free to visit for National Trust members or if you're not a member,  you can pay for a day's admission on arrival (see website for up to date opening times and prices). Let me know if you fancy a visit.

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