Nunnykirk Hall is a 19th-century

country house An English country house is a large house or mansion in the English countryside. Such houses were often owned by individuals who also owned a town house. This allowed them to spend time in the country and in the city—hence, for these peopl ...

and Grade I listed building in the civil parish of

Nunnykirk Nunnykirk is a settlement and civil parish in the county of Northumberland, England. Nunnykirk is the location of Nunnykirk Hall, a former nunnery country house and current school. Governance Nunnykirk was formerly a township A township ...

, near the village of

Netherwitton Netherwitton is a village in Northumberland, England about west north west of Morpeth. A former cotton-mill now converted into residential housing, the old village school also converted into a house, an old bridge, a small church, and a number ...

in the English county of Northumberland. The hall is now a school.

History

In 1536 the Nunnykirk estate, including a tower, was owned by the abbots of Newminster Abbey but fell to the Crown on the Dissolution of the Monasteries. In 1610 it was granted by the Crown to Sir Ralph Grey. Grey later sold it to the Ward family of Morpeth who built a manor house. In 1771 Ann Ward, the heiress of the Nunnykirk estate married William Orde, (the half brother of Admiral Sir John Orde). Their son William Orde, Jr. (1774–1843) rebuilt the house in a grand style designed by architect John Dobson in 1825. William Orde, Jr. established a racing stud at Nunnykirk and both he and his nephew and heir Charles William Orde (1810–1875) enjoyed considerable success as breeders. Their most successful horses were ''Beeswing'', ''Nunnykirk'' (winner of the

2,000 Guineas The 2000 Guineas Stakes is a Group 1 flat race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run on the Rowley Mile at Newmarket over a distance of 1 mile (1,609 metres) and scheduled to take place each year at ...

), and '' Newminster'' (winner of the

St. Leger The St Leger Stakes is a Group 1 flat horse race in Great Britain open to three-year-old thoroughbred colts and fillies. It is run at Doncaster over a d ...

1851). Since 1977, the house was occupied by a special needs school, known as Nunnykirk Centre for Dyslexia. The School closed in July 2022. {{authority control Country houses in Northumberland Grade I listed houses Grade I listed buildings in Northumberland Special schools in Northumberland Educational institutions established in 1977 1977 establishments in England Private schools in Northumberland