Close House, Northumberland
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Close House is a Grade II* listed former mansion house, now a hotel and country club near Heddon on the Wall, Northumberland.
A monastic house occupied the site in the 14th century. A later house on the site was sold by the Read family in 1626 to Robert Berwicke (1573-1641) a Merchant Adventurer of Newcastle on Tyne, who was Sheriff of that city in 1615 and Mayor 1628 and 1637.The Berwicke family held the estate for over 300 years.
The house was the home of Calverley Berwicke (1755-1815) who was High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1782 and Member of Parliament for Winchelsea 1806-1815. In 1779 he demolished the house and replaced it with an imposing mansion house.
From 1906 the Hall was let out to tenants and the Hall and estate were sold in 1953. In 1960 the Hall and park were acquired by Kings College, Newcastle. The university carried out refurbishments and built a golf course on the park in 1994.
In 2004 the university sold the Hall to the present owner who opened the property as a hotel in 2005.
