The Lord Crewe Arms Hotel ~ warm hospitality in stylish surroundings ~ at the
historic heart of Medieval Blanchland
village
villageHistory ~ Lord Crewe Arms and Blanchland
The Lord Crewe Arms Hotel was built
originally
as the Abbot's lodging,
the guest house
and the kitchens for Blanchland Abbey, founded in 1165 by Premonstratensian White Canons
on land given to them by Walter de Bolbec
The tranquil gardens, which are now a scheduled ancient monument,
were originally the cloisters of the Abbey, where the Canons took their relaxation
Today, the Crypt Bar and the rooms above remain from the original 12th Century site,
with the remainder of the building having been added by Lord Crewe in the 17th Century
After the Dissolution of the Monasteries the estate fell into decline
It was owned first by the Radcliffes and then bought in 1623 by the Forsters of Bamburgh
In 1699 Dorothy Forster married Lord Crewe, Bishop of Durham,
who bought the debt-ridden estate in 1704
Dorothy Forster's benign ghost is reputed to haunt the hotel, awaiting her brother Tom
See the famous Priest's Hole where Tom Forster, commander of Jacobite forces is reputed to have been hidden by his sister Dorothy on his escape following the unsuccessful 1715 uprising
When Lord Crewe died he left his estates to trustees, with the income to go to Oxford
and to various schools and almshouses. Parts of Blanchland, such as the car park and children's playground at the North side of the village, are managed today by a charitable trust
Blanchland sits in a quiet position in the upper reaches of the Derwent Valley
and is one of only six ancient villages in England with 'Listed' status
The Hotel overlooks the village square, with a view little changed over hundreds of years
A Medieval gatehouse guards the Hexham road from the North, although the more modern road bridge on the other side of the village is thought to date from as recently as the 19th Century
The name "Blanchland" is thought to come from the fact that the monks wore white habits
and the kitchens for Blanchland Abbey, founded in 1165 by Premonstratensian White Canons
on land given to them by Walter de Bolbec
The tranquil gardens, which are now a scheduled ancient monument,
were originally the cloisters of the Abbey, where the Canons took their relaxation
Today, the Crypt Bar and the rooms above remain from the original 12th Century site,
with the remainder of the building having been added by Lord Crewe in the 17th Century
After the Dissolution of the Monasteries the estate fell into decline
It was owned first by the Radcliffes and then bought in 1623 by the Forsters of Bamburgh
In 1699 Dorothy Forster married Lord Crewe, Bishop of Durham,
who bought the debt-ridden estate in 1704
Dorothy Forster's benign ghost is reputed to haunt the hotel, awaiting her brother Tom
See the famous Priest's Hole where Tom Forster, commander of Jacobite forces is reputed to have been hidden by his sister Dorothy on his escape following the unsuccessful 1715 uprising
When Lord Crewe died he left his estates to trustees, with the income to go to Oxford
and to various schools and almshouses. Parts of Blanchland, such as the car park and children's playground at the North side of the village, are managed today by a charitable trust
Blanchland sits in a quiet position in the upper reaches of the Derwent Valley
and is one of only six ancient villages in England with 'Listed' status
The Hotel overlooks the village square, with a view little changed over hundreds of years
A Medieval gatehouse guards the Hexham road from the North, although the more modern road bridge on the other side of the village is thought to date from as recently as the 19th Century
The name "Blanchland" is thought to come from the fact that the monks wore white habits
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The Lord Crewe Arms Hotel ~ Blanchland ~ DH8 9SP ~ North Pennines ~ between Hexham, Northumberland & Consett, County Durham
