This weekend we were dancing at Seaton Delaval Hall – which, when I looked it up, turned out to have been built for an admiral, George Delaval – and, when he died before it was completed in 1728, inherited by his nephew Francis Blake Delaval, a naval captain.
This is possibly not surprising for a building so close to the sea, although it would have been less industrial looking in their days.
The main block of the house looks impressive, but it was burnt out by a fire in 1822, less than a hundred years after it was built, and is only an empty shell.
The west wing was lived in for part of the 20th century, and is in much better repair – as well as having a lovely cloister place along the front.
This obelisk might mark the place where Admiral Delaval fell from his horse – or it might not. A second obelisk marking the spot where he died has been demolished.
Adventures in the Age of Sail 