Howick Hall

In the spring of 2011 I attempted to visit a house in the far north of England. The wind was ferocious that day, blasting in off the nearby North Sea in furious gusts. Upon reaching my destination I was promptly sent packing by a curt woman, who informed me that the place was shut owing to the danger of falling trees. 

    What struck me most on that occasion was the remoteness of Howick Hall. It’s remote even by the standards of Northumberland, itself one of the most isolated parts of England. Signposts appear only once you have reached the edge of the estate. Getting there entails a drive through flat countryside, on serpentine roads lined with high hedges where you get held up behind great tractors and at level crossings. There are villages with weird names like Rock and endless acres of farmland. 

I returned to Howick Hall this week not to see its famous gardens and perfectly manicured lawns, which held no interest for me, but because it was the home of a nineteenth century prime minister, Earl Grey. I found it fascinating that a man who was at the centre of British political life lived in a place like this, hundreds of miles from London. Apparently it took 4 days to travel to the capital in Grey’s time, and, not very surprisingly, he was often conspicuous by his absence. 

Charles Grey was an interesting figure. In his younger days, he was handsome, arrogant and something of a Don Juan, carrying on ill-concealed affairs with the wives of fellow aristocrats. His libido clearly didn’t wane after marriage, for his wife bore him 15 children.  

He was elected to Parliament aged 21. Amusingly, he didn’t even attend his own election, the result of which was a foregone conclusion, preferring to continue his travels in Europe. As prime minister (1830 to 1834) he achieved great popularity for pushing through a bill which nearly doubled the size of the electorate.

The Hall, which is appropriately grey, was built in 1782 and is very fine. The ground floor is surmounted by a parapet while the upper levels, which are set back a little, are notable for a set of 4 central columns that form a square. Evidently there is an inner courtyard, for you can see past the columns to windows on a wall beyond. A coat of arms on the façade features an upright lion beside a human hand, along with the following family motto: ‘De Bon Vouloir Servir le Roi’. Disappointingly, the interior is off-limits, with only a small visitor centre open to visitors.

 

The North Sea

Howick is, however, far less imposing than more famous stately homes like Chatsworth, Castle Howard or Blenheim. You get the feeling that if any of the Earl’s lordly colleagues had made the marathon journey to this deepest northern corner of England they might have been somewhat underwhelmed. 

    You can understand why Earl Grey didn’t feel inclined to leave this beautiful part of England very often. The extensive woodlands on the estate make a great place for a walk. There are paths that take you beside the Howick Burn, a strip of water that empties into the North Sea a short distance to the east, and over handsome and weather-worn stone bridges.