Holmside Hall
Has been described as a Certain Fortified Manor House
There are major building remains
| Name | Holmside Hall |
| Alternative Names | Holmside Old Hall; Lanchester |
| Historic Country | Durham |
| Modern Authority | Durham |
| 1974 Authority | County Durham |
| Civil Parish | Burnhope |
Holmside Hall, the ancient seat of the Tempests and Whittinghams is of pre-C15 date. Many traces survive of the old house, the moat being almost entire. The west courtyard wall is original and a line of ancient buildings ran along the north of the courtyard. It is believed that the west end of this range was the chapel. "The house appears to be C19 or C20 in date but in the out-buildings are windows and doors of Medieval date"
The Hall seems to have belonged to a class of mansions inferior to the peel or castle, yet built with some view to defence. Part of the old court-yard is remaining; the Chapel forms the North side, and its West window is still perfect, of two lights under a square label, with the cinquefoil and two blank shields in the spandrils. Above this West window a mutilated figure is fixed in the wall, with a full moony face, and a kind of round helmet or pot en tete. I should almost conjecture this to be a rude piece of Roman sculpture, removed from the Station which may probably have furnished the coins and squared stones used in building this chantry of the Umfrevilles. The original lights of the Hall are narrow, strongly guarded with mullions and iron bars, but the gables have been taken down, and the house enlarged towards the South, and it now presents a confused mass of buildings of very different dates, with outshots and additions on all sides, including in its interior a number of small ill-connected apartments. The moat includes a ruined garden and orchard, and a stone throw to the West stands another small old building defended by its separate moat. The situation is in a hollow flat, and a few centuries ago the gloomy hall of the Tempests must have been nearly immersed in wood and morass. (Surtees)
Not scheduled
This is a Grade 2 listed building protected by law
Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
| OS Map Grid Reference | NZ205496 |
| Latitude | 54.841178894043 |
| Longitude | -1.68069994449615 |
| Eastings | 420590 |
| Northings | 549630 |
