Hesleyside Hall

Photo courtesy of William Nicholson, All rights reserved, used by permission.

Several places called Charlton can be found in England but the surname is so closely associated with Northumberland that the hamlet of Charlton near Bellingham (pronounced Bell-ing-jum) in North Tynedale would seem to be the most likely place of origin for the surname. In the Elizabethan days of Border Raiding, the Charlton clan were active in North Tynedale and carried out sheep and cattle thieving forays throughout the north.

[1] Hesleyside has been in the possession of the Charltons from the time of Richard II., who is recorded to have lent the sum of £100 to an ancestor of the family: the Hall is a handsome structure of white freestone, commanding a varied prospect embracing the picturesque scenery along the vale of the Tyne; attached is a neat Roman Catholic chapel.

[2] Hesleyside Hall is a privately owned 18th century country house and the ancestral home of the Border reiver Charlton family situated near Bellingham, Northumberland. The Charltons have been at Hesleyside since the 14th century The present mansion, believed to be built on the site of a 14th century peel tower, was built in 1719. The grounds were laid out by Capability Brown in 1776 and the east front was remodelled by architect William Newton in 1796. Edward Charlton was created a Baronet in 1645. Later Charltons served as High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1721 and 1837, and as Deputy Lieutenant. The adjacent stable block incorporates a 1747 date stone.

Related entry: The Borders

Hesleyside Hall is the subject of a Northumbrian tune called ‘The Hesleyside Reel’.