Access improvements at Washington Old Hall National Trust property in Sunderland

Sunderland City Council’s planning department has approved an application for the Washington Old Hall site in Washington Village.

The Grade I-listed property, which is owned and managed by the National Trust, includes a stone manor house and gardens.

It incorporates parts of the original medieval home of US President George Washington’s direct ancestors and according to the National Trust, was the place where the family took their surname of ‘Washington’.

The site attracts scores of visitors every year as a key heritage attraction in the region and once welcomed US President Jimmy Carter during his visit to Washington in 1977.

New plans for the heritage site, submitted to council planning officials earlier this year, included external works to improve accessibility for visitors.

The application was linked to the ‘Knot Garden’ to the front of the Grade II-listed Lodge Cottages, which form part of the wider collection of historic buildings and gardens at Washington Old Hall.

Proposals from the National Trust included external improvements to provide a new access ramp, involving the partial removal of terrace walls and alterations to the Knot Garden’s paths, steps and walls.

A new opening to the garden boundary wall was also proposed, along with the fitting of handrails and external wall mounted lighting along new and existing path routes, with new surfacing and landscaping.

In addition, an external platform lift and storage shed within the retaining wall were proposed to be removed.

Applications for the works and for listed building consent were submitted to council planning officials for consideration.

After assessing the applications against planning policies, Sunderland City Council’s planning department approved both on July 19, 2023.

A planning decision report said it was established, through discussions with the applicant and Historic England, that the Knot Garden was “not part of an historic designed garden scheme but a later 20th century addition of no real significance”.

While noting that the garden was “attractive and of some limited aesthetic value” it was argued there was an opportunity for improvements.

This included the creation of a “new sympathetically designed garden that better integrates with the wider landscape and enhances the setting of the listed buildings and overall landscape quality, visitor accessibility and attractiveness of the site”.

The council’s conservation team said the application “provided the most balanced approach between satisfying the access improvement requirements and creating an attractive new garden for the Lodge that integrates well with the wider gardens at the site”.

The council decision report added: “Overall, it is considered that the proposed new garden will marginally enhance the setting and significance of the Grade I-listed Old Hall and Grade II-listed Lodge Cottages and improve the wider usability and attractiveness of the site as a key heritage visitor attraction”.

Further details of the planning application and council approval can be found via Sunderland City Council’s planning portal website by searching reference: 23/01213/FUL

For more information on Washington Old Hall, visit https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/north-east/washington-old-hall