Nunnykirk Hall
| Nunnykirk Hall | |
| Northumberland | |
|---|---|
 Sign outside the hall | |
| Location | |
| Grid reference: | NZ082926 |
| Location: | 55°13’41"N, 1°52’19"W |
| History | |
| Country house | |
| Information | |
Nunnykirk Hall is a 19th-century country house in the Parish of Nunnykirk, near Netherwitton in Northumberland. The hall is now a school. It is a Grade I listed building.
History
In 1536 the Nunnykirk estate, including a tower, was owned by the abbots of Newminster Abbey but fell to the Crown on the Dissolution of the Monasteries. In 1610 it was granted by the Crown to Sir Ralph Grey. Grey later sold it to the Ward family of Morpeth who built a manor house.
In 1771 Ann Ward, the heiress of the Nunnykirk estate married William Orde, (the half brother of Admiral Sir John Orde). Their son William Orde, Jr. (1774–1843) rebuilt the house in a grand style designed by the local architect John Dobson in 1825.
William Orde, Jr. established a racing stud at Nunnykirk and both he and his nephew and heir Charles William Orde (1810–1875) enjoyed considerable success as breeders. Their most successful horses were Beeswing, Nunnykirk (winner of the 2,000 Guineas), and Newminster (winner of the St Leger in 1851).
Since 1977, the house has been occupied by a special needs school, now known as Nunnykirk Centre for Dyslexia.