We are lucky enough to have several villages within walking distance of our temporary holiday accomodation, which we can visit as part of our daily exercise regime, whilst the country is in the Coronavirus pandemic lockdown.
In this exercise walk, we visited the picturesque village of Snainton and Wydale Hall.
A few facts about these locations:
The actor Sir Ben Kingsley was born in Snainton.
George Vasey the botanist was also born in Stainton. He was responsible for the integration of the United States Department of Agriculture.
Wydale Hall was originally a private house built for the Cayley Family, who also owned other local estates including Brompton Hall. The oldest part of the house (the three-storey section) was built around 1790. Historically the house was associated with the pioneer aviator George Cayley, who inherited the Wydale estate amongst other estates in 1792. The valley to the front of the hall provided the launch site for a number of his early experiments with aviation, starting as early as 1853.
Wydale Hall was also utilised as a hospital during the First World War, and it was again utilised as a military centre during the Second World War. First, the hall was used as a base for the Northumberland Hussars and subsequently it became a Defence Platoon HQ. During the final part of the war the house was used to accommodate Italian Prisoners of War. To the east of the house in the wooded areas are the foundation plinths of a number of buildings associated with this period of the hall's history.
