Places features

Pop and tradition live side by side at the Seaton Hall Estate which its current owner, William Kidd, bought as a 'wreck' in 2002. Since then he has spent considerable amounts of both time and money to create something unique on the historic site, which dates back at least to the 15th century and possibly beyond.

Willliam Kidd can be described as a collector, gardener, businessman, craftsman, property developer, inventor and historian. He also has apparently boundless energy, as I discovered when I visited the Seaton Hall Estate.

Seaton Hall exterior

The first thing you notice is the spectacular views across the North York Moors National Park from the Hall's kitchen. William's ambitious project is to rebuild, recreate and sympathetically develop the estate and it appears for the past six years work has never stopped.

The Hall is simply packed with treasures. Panelling that once adorned John Lennon's home, beautiful old furniture, original paintings, sculptures and objets d'art fill the maze of rooms and give the visitor a feeling of having wandered into a very personal museum.

William has also commissioned original pieces for the Hall from local artists and craftspeople, including some remarkable gates. He is full of enthusiasm for the wide range of talented people who live close by. In one part of the house a new library is being created and, amongst other things, it will house around 700 books which once made up Peggy Guggenheim's library in Venice! William also has plans to have a pair of gates made to the design of Peggy's famously unusual spectacles.

Bed canopy designed and made by Judith Reece

In a bid to recoup some of his enormous expenditure, William has converted old outbuildings into luxury holiday accommodation featuring original art and sculpture alongside handmade curtains by local textile designer, Judith Reece. Her imaginative work also features in the main Hall.

As well as self-catering for groups of up to 14 people, there will also be themed breaks focusing on subjects like art and garden appreciation. There are plans to become a distinctive 'green' wedding venue and work is already under way to create an art gallery from a former Dutch barn.

In the Hall itself, works of art from the Staithes School already sit side by side with paintings by William's late artist mother, Winifred Kidd, and those of a wide range of painters from near and far. The new gallery will host exhibitions and double as a venue for functions and weddings.

William Kidd in the Hall's ancient orchard

The extensive gardens and grounds are another source of passion for William, who has planted no fewer than 30,000 trees since taking over the estate. One of his aspirations for the future is to create a tea plantation on the south facing valley slopes next to the Hall itself. He believes tea plants will thrive there, despite the reputation of the North York Moors as being somewhat bleak and harsh.

The impression William gives to visitors is one of enormous enthusiasm and passion for this rather special place. However, his ambitious plans could easily take a lifetime to achieve.