Blimey, it was hot. Having a bit of a thing about trains, I thought I’d go on the new service to Seaton Delaval where I could then easily walk to a place that I lived fairly near to for ten years in the 1990s but never actually visited; Seaton Delaval Hall.
At Seaton Delaval station, there are no cosy stone-built tea rooms, and no jolly stone-built station masters tending to their hanging baskets and checking their pocket watches every five minutes to make sure the trains arrive and leave on time, and no hints of wisps of steam. And most disappointingly, no sign of Trevor Howard or Celia Johnson.
But more importantly, for all that the village is only a small place, the Hall itself is two and a half miles from where I stepped off the train. As I’d decided to walk, it felt more like ten miles in the 30 degree heat of the day I went.
Eventually, after a hike that made Ice Cold in Alex seem like a stroll in the park, I arrived at the Church of Our Lady, which lies next to the Hall itself. It’s been around for centuries, I believe it was built in the 1100s, and the last time I was there was a bit later but still around 30 years ago. Sadly, a rather selfish couple had the audacity to be getting married there just before I arrived so access was denied to this weary soul.
A man with noticeable hair outside the church told me that the building itself was undergoing restoration that very week and there was actually no floor in the porch anyway. The tradition of carrying the bride over the threshold would have been maintained, albeit adapted slightly for the 21st Century.
So I popped next door to the Hall, which after all was the main reason for my trip.
After dodging the stream of cars on the driveway up to the building that appeared as soon as I arrived at the gate, I stumbled into the on site cafe for an iced coffee, which was very welcome indeed. I enjoyed it almost as much as the wasps did – the ones who accompanied its arrival on my table.
I’d been aware of this place since I had moved to North Tyneside in 1992. It loomed out of the shadows on the road between Seaton Sluice and Seaton Delaval every time I passed it in the car but I had always assumed it was derelict. So being able to wander around its interior was a real pleasure and solved a few mysteries for me.
The building is really just a shell, but spectacular for all that. The light on the interior brick walls was just begging to be sketched but even if I had been able to do it any justice I didn’t have a seat to sit on to do it from any reasonable angle so I just took photos instead.
There are few paintings in the west wing (yes, it’s that sort of place – a real mansion) but they are kept in a dark area and, for good reason, aren’t displayed very well. There are a few surprises though – there’s the upside down room, with the ceiling on the floor, and the door that, when you walk through it, sets off some farmyard sounds. I was greeted by an angry duck. And then there was the indoor theatre stage, which was being occupied by over excited children on the day I went.
The whole of the front lawn was a play area, good to see so many families taking their kids there. The youngsters will grow up remembering what a great day they had and hopefully take their own children there one day.
I strolled around the gardens before I left, looking for things not to sketch. And finding plenty of them. Formal gardens are at their peak at this time of year and remain one of the highlights of summer for me.
With an iced coffee inside me and an unused pencil and sketchpad in my bag, I headed down to Seaton Sluice for a pint and some fish and chips before catching the bus back home. But by the time I arrived at the bus stop in Seaton Sluice my enthusiasm for beer and chips had been replaced by a desire to get out of the heat, and I headed straight home instead, where I could sit in my own garden and settle for an orange juice.
Next time I go – and there will be a next time – I’ll try and get to the church as well. As long as they’ve fixed the floor by then.
Steve's Journal 