Ellingham Hall in Northumberland is a restored historic country house near Chathill. Built in the 17th century by Sir John Haggerston on the site of an earlier house; later enlarged by his successor Edward Haggerston.
 
The Catholic Haggerston family are associated with sheltering priests in secret tunnels and chambers during periods of Reformation‑era persecution, a tradition still used in the venue’s storytelling. In fact it has a few stories
 
During the Second World War, the estate was worked by the Women’s Land Army: the tennis courts were dug up for cultivation and the reception rooms and chapel used as storage for foodstuffs such as tea and flour.
From 1955 to 1988 it operated as a boys’ preparatory school; later development plans stalled after the 1989 property crash, leaving the hall empty and vulnerable to vandalism and decay. It was rescued in 1996
 
Interesting facts.
 
The Haggerston family, who built and owned the hall from the 17th century, were prominent Catholics who sheltered priests in secret tunnels and chambers during the persecutions of the Reformation, when harbouring clergy was punishable by death.
These hiding places were part of a wider network of “priest holes” built by Jesuit builders like Nicholas Owen across recusant houses, often concealed in attics, behind false panels, under stairs, or in fireplaces, sometimes with feeding tubes to sustain long hides.
While exact locations at Ellingham are not publicly mapped (likely for good reason), the family tradition is still emphasised in the venue’s own history page and marketing, hinting at surviving fabric in the restored structure.