Gunnergate Hall was a mansion house with grounds in the south of Middlesbrough in North Yorkshire, England.

History

Gunnergate Hall was built in 1857 for Charles Albert Leatham, a wealthy Quaker banker. ^{[1] [2] [3]} Albert Leatham died in 1858 and in 1860 his widow sold Gunnergate Hall to ironmaster John Vaughan ^{[4] [5] [6]} who used it as his residence. ^[7] John Vaughan died in 1868 and his second son Thomas Vaughan inherited the hall and lived there. ^{[1] [5] [6]} Thomas Vaughan spent extensively improving the hall, ^[1] however his business failed and the hall was sold in 1881 to Carl Bolckow, ^{[1] [5] [6]} nephew of Henry Bolckow. Carl Bolckow sold the hall to mayor and shipbuilder Sir Raylton Dixon in 1888. ^{[1] [5] [8]} Sir Raylton Dixon died in 1901 ^{[1] [2] [5]} and thereafter the hall was left unoccupied, and fell into disrepair. ^{[1] [8]} The hall was used as an army base in both world wars ^{[1] [5] [8]} but was demolished in 1946 shortly after World War II, ^{[1] [3] [4] [5] [8]} and the land acquired by Middlesbrough Council. ^[2]

Description

Gunnergate Hall was located off Tollesby Lane ^[4] and there is a plaque in the grounds that shows the former location of the hall. ^[8] The main entrance drive was from Stokesley Road in Marton. ^[5] Gunnergate Hall had three lodges but only two survive, Hunter’s Lodge on Gunnergate Lane and High Lodge on Tollesby Lane. ^{[3] [4]}

The hall had a banqueting hall, ballroom and billiard room ^[6] and the grounds had a rockery, tennis courts, greenhouses, waterfall, lake, fountain, and boat house. ^{[2] [6]} A water tower in the grounds may have supplied the lake fountain or else provided water pressure for the house. ^[9]

Fairy Dell Park

Fairy Dell is a local nature reserve, ^[10] and the former gardens and grounds of Gunnergate Hall. ^{[2] [11]} Fairy Dell is a laid out parkland and natural wooded beck valley with an ornamental lake and flood defence lakes that is part of the Marton West Beck wildlife corridor. ^{[12] [13]} The site was redeveloped as a flood defence in the late 1970s by Northumbrian Water and Middlesbrough Council. ^[12]

Access to the park can be gained from nearby Newham Grange Country Farm. ^[14] Wildlife to be found include watervoles, herons, kingfishers, moorhens, and mallards. ^{[10] [14]} Numerous chainsaw sculptures have been created in the woodlands by Steve Iredale. ^[14] Activities undertaken by the Friends of Fairy Dell interest group include path clearing, strimming, and planting. ^[15] The park was given a Green Flag Award by the Civic Trust. ^[12]

Discoveries in the area have included animal bones and a sunken path. An archaeological dig is planned for 2014 led by Tees Archaeology. ^{[16] [17] [18]} A £38,000 grant has been obtained from the Community Spaces Programme of the Heritage Lottery Fund for improving footpaths and natural woodland, flower planting, extra seating and the archaeological dig. ^{[16] [17] [19]}

References

External links

• Friends of Fairy Dell
• Gunnergate Hall images: Hidden Teesside, Chris Scott Wilson
• Walks: Middlesbrough Council.