Winlaton Hall

Once a seat of the Roman Catholic Hodgsons of Hebburn, Winlaton passed c.1700 to Sir William Blackett, who leased it to Sir Ambrose Crowley, Tyneside industrialist (d.1713). In 1704 Crowley used the Hall as a chapel, later as a house, offices and warehouse. It was vacated in 1753. Crowley probably added the curious façade of battlemented corner-towers with a Dutch gable between. An inscribed gable stone read "Crowley and Belts Castle 1864" (two Belt sisters sold provisions in part of it c.1830). The part of the Hall in domestic use was described as "well-situated, fit for a gentleman's family.. With several houses and smith's shops". Joseph Laycock came to Winlaton in the early C18 to manage Crowley's works. His grandson Joseph Laycock (1798-1881) rebuilt the residential part of the Hall c.1835, but later moved to Low Gosforth House. In 1896 the Hall was the seat of H.W. Grace; it was later owned by Matthew Kirsop. Demolished in 1928.