The Hall, built in 1782, sits comfortably in the landscape; surrounded by formal gardens, including the terrace, borders and rockery. These in sit in an extensive woodland, which in their turn are surrounded by an arboretum covering some 65 acres. The 'long walk' to the outfall of the Howick Burn on the coast, which meanders through this beautiful landscape, is 1½ miles long. The pond is a particularly attactive feature of the arboretum; look out for the herons which nest nearby. Also look out for the red squirrels which thrive in the grounds.
The Grey family has lived at Howick since the 14th century; its most well known member is the 2nd Earl Grey who was Prime Minister of the government that passed the Great Reform Bill in 1832. Earl Grey tea, which was named after him, was blended to suit the water at Howick, using bergamot to offset the taste of the lime in it. He is buried in the church, which is sited in the grounds, close to the house. This is open to visitors and parish communion is celebrated there on the 2nd and 4th Sunday in the month.
The Hall itself is not open to the public, although there are long term plans to restore it. The exception to this is the elegant tea room in the east quadrant, which is open to visitors to the Hall.
Gardens, Arboretum & Tea Room
OPEN DAILY 12noon - 6pm (last entry 5pm)
1st April to 15th November 2009
For those visitors who enjoy walking, Howick Hall can be accessed via the path through the Arnold Nature Reserve, immediately next to the main Craster footpath and the Craster Tourist Information Centre.
Visit North East England has described a triangular 6m walk, Craster - Howick Hall - coast - Craster, which can be downloaded via the following link: Visit NE England - Craster to Howick
Howick Hall & Gardens |