Lindisfarne Castle
The 16th century castle on Holy Islandwas much altered by English architect Sir Edwin Lutyens in the early years of the 1900s after it was bought by Edward Hudson, the owner of Country Life magazine.
The castle’s dramatic location saw it used as a backdrop in the Roman Polanski films Cul-de-sac and The Tragedy of Macbeth, as well as more recent TV series Cool Feet and Wolfblood.
Wallington
Dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, Wallington is a country house in Northumberland that was the family seat of the colourful Trevelyan family.
Set in 100-acre grounds with an attractive walled garden, the property is known for its large collection of antique dolls houses and eight murals in the central hall that depict the history of Northumberland, painted by William Bell Scott.
Penshaw Monument
The Earl of Durham’s Monument, as it is officially known, was built in 1844 and dedicated to John George Lambton, who was affectionately known as Radical Jack and wrote an influential report on reforming the British Empire.
A replica of the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens, the monument was gifted to the National Trust in 1939 and has become a much-loved symbol for the city of Sunderland.
Souter Lighthouse
The lighthouse at Marsden, South Shields, was the first in the world designed and built specifically to use alternating electric current, a technology that made it one of the most powerful lighthouses when it was first lit in the 1870s.
The property takes its name from Souter Point, a mile to the south and where it was originally planned, rather than its actual location at Lizard Point to avoid confusion with the Lizard Lighthouse in Cornwall built just a few years earlier.
Seaton Delaval Hall
The National Trust’s most recent acquisition in the North East is Seaton Delaval Hall, which was bought in 2009 after a fundraising appeal that involved donations from thousands of Journal readers.
Designed by Sir John Vanburgh in 1718 for Admiral George Delaval, the hall has a chequered and sometimes scandalous history and has lain empty for much of the last 300 years.
Ormesby Hall
The 18th century mansion house on Teesside was the home of the Pennyman family from around 1600 until it was gifted to the National Trust in 1983.
The house is surrounded by 250 acres of parkland and a Victorian formal garden, and has a much-loved model railway display in its servants’ wing.
Allen Banks and Staward Gorge
A deep gorge created by the River Allen in Northumberland, Allen Banks is a designated site of special scientific interest for its rich flora and fauna.
Largely created by Victorian landowner’s wife Susan Davidson, the site - which suffered extensive storm damage in 2015 - includes the ruins of Staward Peel, a medieval pele tower which stands on a promontory above the gorge.
Roseberry Topping
Much beloved by the people of Teesside, Roseberry Topping has a distinctive summit that has seen it compared to the (much higher) Matterhorn in the Alps.
Explorer James Cook is said to have first acquired his taste for adventure by walking around the hill, which was designated a geological Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1954. It is managed by the National Trust and provides spectacular views of Teesside and North Yorkshire.
Washington Old Hall
Washington Old Hall attracts thousands of American visitors because of its place as the ancestral home of the country’s first president, George Washington.
After falling into disrepair at the start of the 20th century, it was rescued by local teacher Fred Hill who created the Friends of the Old Hall and saw it re-opened by the American Ambassador to the UK, Winthrop W. Aldrich, in 1955.
Cragside
The first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity, Cragside was a labour of love for Tyneside industrialist William Armstrong.
As well as the spectacular house, the site near Rothbury has dramatic gardens known for their display of rhododendrons. The estate was acquired by the National Trust in 1977 and has been open to the public since 1979.
Gibside
The 18th century pleasure gardens were owned for many years by the Bowes-Lyon family, with much of its creation was the brainchild of coal magnate George Bowes.
Though the main house on the estate is a ruin, the chapel is still intact and opens onto a long walk that leads to the 141-foot Column to Liberty, a tribute to Bowes’ Whig politics and - in all likelihood - a none-too-subtle reminder to people living roundabout of his wealth and importance.
Farne Islands
The group of islands off the Northumberland coast were home to St Aidan and St Cuthbert but now have no permanent inhabitants other than National Trust rangers.
The islands are known for their abundant wildlife, with globally important populations of puffins, guillemots and Arctic terns, as well as the thousands of grey seal pups that are born on the islands.
Housesteads
The National Trust is one of a number of landowners of important Hadrian’s Wall sites, and operates Housesteads Fort in association with English Heritage.
The fort gives an insight into Roman military life, as well as some of the oldest toilets around.
