• Date: 17th century
• Material: Iron, wood, paint
• Place Made/Found: From Belsay Castle

This armada chest has its original key and is probably of Spanish origin. Such chests mostly date from the 17th century and come mainly from Holland, Germany and Austria. It has a false keyhole on the front, with the actual locking mechanism in the lid. The key, when inserted, must be turned at the same time as depressing the small button within the escutcheon (keyhole).

The name armada chest refers to a type of chest used to hold funds collected to pay pensions to those who fought the Spanish Armada in 1588.

• Date: 17th century
• Material: Sandstone
• Place Made/Found: From Belsay Castle

This pair of sandstone statues depict the Belsay Wildman and Wildwoman. They were made to stand on the entrance gateposts to the 17th-century Belsay Castle garden. When complete they would have been around 1.8m high and held an oak tree across their bodies.

A key part of the arms of the Middleton family from at least the 15th century, the Wildman can be seen on a crest above a door into the castle and in the wall paintings inside. Wild men are uncivilised mythical creatures and their stories can be traced back to Greek and Roman mythology. By the 17th century, when these statues were created, the Wildman was seen as the protector of civilised society, living in harmony with his surroundings.

• Date: 1699
• Material: Glass, wood, lead
• Place Made/Found: From Belsay Castle
• Artist: Possibly Henry Gyles

This stained glass window celebrates the marriage of John Middleton and Frances Lambert in June 1699. The design has a central shield bearing the arms of the Middleton and Lambert families. On the Baron’s helm above the shield stands a wildman, holding an oak tree. Below the shield, a cherub’s head emerges from golden wings above the motto ‘Les sis dire’ (Let speak).

Henry Gyles (1645–1708) was a master glass painter and part of the ‘York Virtuosi’ – a group of antiquarians, artists and natural philosophers who gathered in York in the 17th century. It seems most likely that this window painting is his work.

• Date: 1862
• Material: Paper
• Place Made/Found: From Belsay Hall
• Artist: Joseph Brown

This portrait depicts Charles Monck (1779–1867), the creator of Belsay Hall, five years before his death. He is drawn facing right, depicted as a strong but elderly man, almost smiling.

This is an engraving by Joseph Brown (1809–87), taken from a photograph by the Downey photography studio (1855–1908). There is a reproduction of Charles Monck’s signature below the portrait.

• Date: 19th century
• Material: Iron
• Place Made/Found: Found in the quarry gardens

Six iron wedges were found by the gardening team whilst clearing undergrowth in the quarry gardens at Belsay. The quarry gardens were created by removing stone to build the Hall in the early 19th century, and tools like these wedges would have been vital. Workmen must have forgotten to take these wedges away when their work was finished. They were found close to stones which had been shaped to top a wall, but never used. They provide a glimpse into the processes used to create the Hall we see today.

• Date: 1830s
• Material: Brass
• Place Made/Found: From Belsay Hall

These decorative rosettes and finials were originally part of the balustrade in the hall before they were removed for conservation reasons. The balustrade can still be seen in the hall today around the gallery on the first floor, above the Pillar Hall.

The balustrade was designed by Isabella Middleton (1785–1869), Charles Monck’s sister. She visited Northumberland House in London (now demolished) for inspiration.

The brass was originally lacquered with a gold-tinted shellac varnish to imitate gilding. A similar technique is applied to picture frames. At the time the bill for the balustrade was £805, which is around £55,000 in today’s money.

• Date: early 20th century
• Material: Iron, copper alloy
• Place Made/Found: From Belsay Hall

There are 14 fire extinguishers in the collection, of two different types. These conical examples were made by Minimax in two sizes; one and two gallon. One of them is still mounted on the wall on the first-floor landing.

Minimax Limited opened in 1903 and in 1905 won the ‘highest award’ for extinguishers in a St. Louis exhibition. Inside the cone was a glass phial containing sulphuric acid, which when broken, would react with the water surrounding it, to create foam.

The other type are earlier in date, and are not fire extinguishers per se, but buckets with hoses and pumps, made by Merryweather & Sons.

• Date: 1868
• Material: Silver, glass
• Place Made/Found: From Belsay Hall

This silver epergne is a centrepiece for a table and was used to display sweets or other delicacies at formal gatherings. It has three glass hanging dishes and the silverwork is ornately shaped in vine leaves and grapes.

It is inscribed ‘Presented to Sir Arthur Edward Monck Baronet on the occasion of his marriage by the tenantry of the Belsay and Allansford Estates 8th November 1871’.

• Date: 1871
• Material: Copper alloy, gilding, enamel
• Place Made/Found: From Belsay Hall

This gilt and enamelled ornate mantel clock with cherub bearers sits on a wooden stand. The dedication plaque reads ‘Presented to Lady Monck by the cottagers and servants on the Belsay Estate 1871’. Clocks were a traditional wedding present as they represent a new moment or time in the couple’s life. Tenants and staff gave gifts like this to their landlords/employers when they held them in high esteem.

• Date: 1956
• Material: Paper
• Place Made/Found: From Belsay Hall

This bookplate is from one of Sybil Middleton’s books, My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell, published in 1956. It shows the Wildman holding an oak tree above the Middleton coat of arms – he has been part of their heraldry for over 500 years.

The library in the Hall is fitted with beautiful oak bookcases which could hold hundreds, if not thousands, of books. There are library lists of the books in the house dating to 1799, 1856 and 1886. Themes include local history, horses, travel, architecture and horticulture.