Project

The Curtain Rises project at Seaton Delaval Hall

Last updated:: 20 October 2022

The North Front of Seaton Delaval Hall, Northumberland | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

Thanks to an award of £3.7 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, a further £3 million from the National Trust, and almost £750,000 in donations and fundraising, we've recently completed the four-year long Curtain Rises project. We've undertaken some major conservation work to the Hall, added new visitor facilities and have reintroduced some of the spectacle for which the theatrical and mischievous Delavals were known.

Restoring the drama of Seaton Delaval Hall

Since acquiring Seaton Delaval Hall in 2009, the National Trust has made significant repairs to the Hall which had fallen into disrepair following a serious fire in the 19th century. Thanks to funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and other donors, we've now completed the Curtain Rises project which has conserved the West Wing roof, Basement floors and spiral staircases for future generations.

As well as these repairs, we’ve introduced new visitor facilities and have been working with our local communities, students, artists and volunteers to bring the spirit of the Hall alive through new creative ways of telling its stories.

Highlights of The Curtain Rises project

The West Wing

The West Wing was covered in scaffolding while we stabilised and re-roofed the entire wing, including replacing six chimneys. Inside the wing a new, breathable paint scheme was introduced throughout to remedy moisture issues, along with conservation-grade heating and light systems. The collection has been creatively re-presented to help visitors meet the family and discover some of the trickery and theatricality for which they were known.

The Spiral staircase at Seaton Delaval Hall, Northumberland — The Spiral staircase at Seaton Delaval Hall | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

Spiral staircases

The spiral staircases are one of the Hall's most iconic features. A feat of engineering for their time, the staircases had become worn and structurally unsound and were heavily propped. They’ve undergone extensive conservation work, with each stair having its own management plan. The conservation team can now continue their regular surveying work on the stairs. This involves using full digital scanning technology to measure the level of wear on each stair to the millimetre on an annual basis.

The grand Basement rooms at Seaton Delaval Hall, Northumberland — The grand Basement rooms at Seaton Delaval Hall | © National Trust Images/Colin Davison

The Basement

The Basement was designed to be as lavish as the rest of the Hall, with vaulted ceilings and thick stone walls, yet years of decline left it dark, damp and uneven. It has now been waterproofed, including lifting and laying a damp-proof membrane underneath the portico steps, and new flooring has been installed. Sympathetic new lighting enhances the atmospheric and architectural features of this space.

Girl playing by the Mirror Cube at Seaton Delaval Hall, Northumberland — A girl plays in the Mirror Cube in the South East Gardens | © National Trust Images/Annapurna Mellor

South East Gardens

In the South East Garden we’ve undertaken woodland management works to improve the health of the landscape and restored historic views. This involved removing old and unstable trees, thinning areas of overcrowding and replanting with younger trees in line with the 18th-century design. We’ve reintroduced lost paths, sight lines and Lady Tyrconnel's wild flower garden and installed some playful new surprises inspired by the Delavals' love of trickery and mischief.

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The Curtain Rises partnerships

At the heart of The Curtain Rises project was a partnership built on Seaton Delaval Hall’s theatrical and creative heritage. Rising Stars was a partnership between Northumbria University and Seaton Delaval Hall to work collaboratively with students to provide experience of working in the heritage sector, offer opportunities for soft skills development and enhance the hall’s offer.

Another key element of the project has been the Delaval Dialogues, working in close partnership with groups and schools from the local community.

Rising Stars

Rising Stars We’re worked with students from across a broad spectrum of subjects to increase our conservation work and create more opportunities for visitors to see the project work in action and subsequently help tell the stories of the Hall. Interior architecture students designed the Collections Store, where you can get a 360-view of our collection items. Conservation students undertook analysis of layers of wall paint in the West Wing. Tourism and Event management students researched and designed events celebrating the Hall's lavish and thearical past.

They've helped us explore digital interpretation, animation and oral histories, to enhance how you experience the Hall and discover its history.

As part of the project, we offered work placements to students to help them gain more knowledge and experience in the heritage sector.

Delaval Dialogues

Partnerships have formed with local schools and colleges, along with local residents and creative organisations to deliver a variety of activities on and off site. Highlights have included the introduction of Tots’ Plots, a pre-school gardening club, and Mischief and Mayhem where five schools and over 1,000 local families devised mischievous inventions for the Delavals to prank their party guests with!

The Curtain Rises timeline

22 April 2021

Capital works draw to a conclusion

Since the last update, we’ve moved towards the completion of the capital works phase. The ‘Delaval Playdium’ play area has opened, new paths have been in use, and you’ve been able to enjoy the new plating and playful installations in the southeast woodland. The conservation work to the Central Hall’s basement and spiral staircases has been completed, and will soon be open to the public, along with the Brewhouse Café and new toilets. Elsewhere on site, the last of the external scaffolding has been removed around the West Wing and our efforts now move to re-presenting the interiors after two years keeping them under wraps.

The Parterre Garden at Seaton Delaval Hall, Northumberland

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