Cragside

Cragside was built for the 1st Lord Armstrong as a weekend retreat.

The original house was modest but over the years it expanded into a country mansion. The building was designed in part by Norman Shaw an exponent of Victorian Gothic and its picturesque outline fits in well with the wooded hills surrounding the house.

Lord Armstrong was a lawyer who took up a second career as an inventor, gunmaker and engineer.

His scientific knowledge was put to good use at Cragside.

The house was the first in the world to be lit by hydro-electricity. The kitchen was equipped with a hydraulic service lift and a spit powered by water from a lake above the house.

The numerous rooms in the house vary considerably in size and decoration.

The Drawing Room has an immense double-storey chimneypiece of intricately carved Italian marble. The Library has light oak panelling and a splendidly decorated ceiling.

The Dining Room is furnished in Old English style and is considered to be one of the finest examples of a Victorian domestic room in Britain.

In addition to the English design the house also has a Japanese Room displaying 19th century Japanese prints and a Bamboo Room which has a collection of cunningly designed artificial bamboo furniture.

Cragside is set in a 1,000 acre estate.

There are wooded lakes and streams and abundant wildlife. Attractions include Nelly's Labyrinth and the woodland adventure playground.