Washington Old Hall opens its gates on Saturday 4 July for a free celebration to mark the 250th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence, the National Trust has announced. The hour‑long event, which runs from 11:00 to 12:00 with entry from 10:30am, also brings free admission to the hall throughout the day and needs no advance booking.
The hall sits on the site of the medieval manor of the Wessyngton family, direct ancestors of George Washington, the first President of the United States. It was from this family name that the spelling ‘Washington’ later emerged, and the building still contains parts of that original medieval home. President Jimmy Carter acknowledged that transatlantic link with a visit in 1977, a moment remembered as strengthening the community’s enduring connection with the United States.
The hall itself almost disappeared. By the 1930s it was condemned and facing demolition, but local headmaster Frederick Hill led a preservation campaign that raised enough funds to purchase the building in 1937. After postwar restoration, it finally opened to the public in 1955, and Washington Urban District Council helped transfer it to the National Trust the following year. Today it sits on The Avenue in Washington Village and can be reached on 0191 4166879.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
