Hartley. This second obelisk marked the site where Admiral George Delaval was killed in a fall from his horse in 1723, before his new hall had been completed. Only the pedestal of the obelisk survives, half-hidden by trees; it is uninscribed. From the steps of the house on a clear day, The Cheviot and Hedgehope Hill can be clearly seen on the northern horizon, some forty miles away on the Scottish border. Also visible to the northwest are the Simonside Hills. Legend As with many big old houses, Seaton Delaval Hall is alleged to have a ghost. According to family biographer Francis Askham: There is a first-floor window on the North front of Seaton Delaval where, so it would seem from one particular part of the forecourt, a white-clad figure is standing. This, according to legend, is the White Lady, a girl who fell in love with the Delaval heir and died of a broken heart because the marriage was forbidden. Closures Seaton Delaval Hall in its entirety was closed to visitors in 2018 on account of building work. It re-opened on Saturday 16 February 2019, from Thursdays to Sundays only. In 2020 the Hall closed again to visitors on account of the COVID-19 pandemic. The gardens re-opened in late July to visitors who had pre-booked their tickets. In summer 2021 the Central Hall and Stables and repaved Basement, and the new Brewhouse Café, re-opened without the requirement to book tickets in advance. The West Wing re-opened to visitors in May 2022. A small stage has been erected in the former kitchen to mark the Delaval family's theatricality; other exhibits, such as a room with furniture hanging from the ceiling, commemorate their love of practical jokes. See also Blenheim Palace (also by Vanbrugh) Castle Howard (also by Vanbrugh) Bavington Hall, Northumberland (bought by George Delaval in the eighteenth century) Dissington Hall, west of Newcastle (a previous seat of the Delaval family) Doddington Hall, Lincolnshire (which retains other Delaval family portraits) Ford Castle, Northumberland (owned by the Delaval family in the eighteenth century) Dilkusha Kothi (constructed in around 1800 on the banks of the Gomti near Lucknow in India for Gore Ouseley, and of very similar design to Seaton Delaval Hall; it now lies in ruins) Gallery References "Education Committee of the County of Northumberland as a memento of the Coronation of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and a reminder of