Historic house in Northumberland to open its gardens to the public once again for National Garden Scheme

Fallodon Hall can be visited on Saturday, June 24 and Sunday, June 25. It is home to Mark and Lucia Bridgeman and their four children.

It has been owned by the Bridgeman family since 1946 and they have raised money for the British Red Cross for more than 50 years.

The gardens were originally opened in 1927 by the previous owner, the famous politician Edward Grey, to raise money for the Queen’s Nursing Institute.

Now the NGS (National Garden Scheme), this charity has risen over £15million for Macmillan Cancer Support.

The house, which will also soon feature in the upcoming television drama ‘The Red King’, has evolved over centuries – with red bricks from Amsterdam used for building the main façade in the 1740s.

The kitchen garden walls date further back, when the Salkeld family were renowed for their gardening expertise, with a fireplace built into the walls to allow the ducts to heat their famous fruit trees.

Much of the formal building was gutted by a serious fire in 1917 and was rebuilt over the next four years inside the old shell, with the top, third floor removed.

As for the gardens at Fallodon Hall, the Bridgemans said: “With its ten acres of woodlands, flower and vegetable borders, pond, bog garden, arboretum and greenhouses, Fallodon has an intriguing mix of formality and informality.

“The large walled garden below the house has box edged borders around the sides, which enclose oriental poppies, alstroemerias, irises, paeonies, roses, dahlias, Turk’s cap lilies used for Lucia’s flower arranging and also vegetables for the family.

“Black Welsh Mountain sheep now graze the grass in the middle.”

There will be home-made teas in the stable yard, run by the local Embleton and Craster churches and Embleton school. Some plants are for sale and there is plenty of room to sit or play on the lawns.

Fallodon Hall will be open from 2pm to 5pm on both days. Entry is £6 and free for children.

There is limited wheelchair access and sociable dogs are welcome, but they must be kept on leads.