Sockburn Hall is privately owned 19th-century country house at
Sockburn
Sockburn is a village and former civil parish to the south of Darlington in County Durham, England. It is situated at the apex of a meander of the River Tees, known locally as the Sockburn Peninsula.
Today, all that remains of the village is an ...
, near
Darlington
Darlington is a market town in the Borough of Darlington, County Durham, England. The River Skerne flows through the town; it is a tributary of the River Tees. The Tees itself flows south of the town.
In the 19th century, Darlington underwen ...
,
County Durham
County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly â€About North East E ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. It is a
Grade II* listed building
In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...
.
As at 2008, both the Hall and adjoining Grade II coach house are listed by
English Heritage
English Heritage (officially the English Heritage Trust) is a charity that manages over 400 historic monuments, buildings and places. These include prehistoric sites, medieval castles, Roman forts and country houses.
The charity states that i ...
on the
Buildings at Risk Register, as is the adjacent ruined Grade I Church of All Saints.
History
The Manor of Sockburn was for many years in antiquity the home of the
Conyers family, known, inter alia, for the legend of the
Sockburn Worm
In the folklore of Northumbria, the Sockburn Worm was a ferocious wyvern that laid waste to the village of Sockburn in Durham, England, Durham. It was said that the beast was finally slain by John Conyers. The tale is said by many to be the inspir ...
. In the late 17th century the estate was purchased by the
Blackett family.
The present house was built to replace the old manor for the occupation of Henry Collingwood Blackett (third son of
Sir William Blackett, 5th Baronet
There have been two baronetcies created for members of the Blackett family, both in the Baronetage of England. One creation is extant as of 2013. The Blackett family can be traced back to the Blacketts/Blakheveds of Woodcroft, County Durham, som ...
) in about 1834 in a neo
Jacobean architecture
The Jacobean style is the second phase of Renaissance architecture in England, following the Elizabethan style. It is named after King James VI and I, with whose reign (1603–1625 in England) it is associated. At the start of James' reign there ...
, with three bays, two storeys and attics above and shaped gables. Following the death of Blackett's widow in 1877 the house was let out. It deteriorated during the 20th century and in recent times the current owners have begun a restoration project.
References
Further reading
*
External links
Sockburn Hall Project Heritage Gateway, listed building description English Heritage Buildings at Risk reportEnglish Heritage Archaeological Investigation at Sockburn
{{Authority control
Grade II* listed buildings in County Durham
Country houses in County Durham
Structures on the Heritage at Risk register