The Ballroom from a circa 1895 photograph
Built / Designed For: Sir Thomas Haggerston
House & Family History: The Haggerston family is recorded as owning land in Northumberland as early as the 12th century. The remains of the current house were begun in 1777 by Sir Thomas Haggerston, with significant additions by Luke Moody, as builder and possible architect, from 1808 until 1811. The Haggerston Estate was sold to John Naylor of Leighton Hall in Welshpool in 1858 for the enormous sum of £340,000 (the equivalent of approximately £27 million in 2010 inflation-adjusted values using the retail price index). After James Dunn's improvements, Haggerston Castle grew to an enormous 154 rooms. In 1911 a fire destroyed the core of the House; in 1930 Haggerston and 1,750 acres were auctioned, together with over 3,500 lots from the House, including staircases, flooring, paneling, and fireplaces. Haggerston Castle was completely demolished in 1931; Shaw's Water Tower (used as a storeroom today) and the Rotunda (today a private club) of 1893 are extant (both are Grade II listed). The cellars of the House have been converted into a bar and storerooms, as part of Haggerston Castle Holiday Park, owned and operated by Haven Holidays.
Collections: Ward Price & Co., auctioneers of Scarborough, Yorkshire, sold all of the contents of Haggerston, including fixtures and fittings, in 1930. The sale catalog was two volumes and stretched to over 3,500 lots.
Garden & Outbuildings: The majority of the remaing 256 acres of the Esate are used as a caravan park.
Architect: Thomas Haggerston
Date: 1777Architect: Luke Moody
Date: 1808-11Architect: Norman Shaw
Date: 1893-97
Title: Lost Houses of Newcastle and Northumberland
Author: Faulkner, Thomas; Lowery, Phoebe
Year Published: 1996
Reference: pgs. 48-50
Publisher: Yorkshire: Jill Raines
ISBN: 0951649426
Book Type: Softback
House Listed: Demolished
Park Listed: Not Listed
Past Seat / Home of: Christopher John Leyland, late 19th century.
Current Ownership Type: Corporation
Primary Current Ownership Use: Other
Ownership Details: Grounds are now Haggerston Castle Holiday Park, a caravan park owned and operated by Haven Holidays.
House Open to Public: Grounds Only
Historic Houses Member: No