The original Washington
WASHINGTON OLD HALL The Avenue, Washington Village, Washington Tel: 0191 416 6879. Washington Old Hall is a small manor house originally built in the 12th Century of local sandstone. It was the home of George Washington's direct ancestors for five generations from 1183 until 1288, and of the Washingtons and their descendants for 430 years until 1613. The present house was built on the foundations of the original manor house, but parts of the old medieval house are still embedded in the structure. Due for demolition in 1936, it was restored by a local voluntary committee, officially reopened by the American Ambassador in 1955 and given to the National Trust. The crest of the Washingtons of Washington includes a design of three stars (or mullets) and two stripes. It has been suggested that the American flag (which is flown over the Hall three times a year) was designed using the Washington crest as a basis, in honour of George Washington. The ground floor and a bedroom have been furnished as a typical 17th and early 18th Century manor house. There are two gardens, a Jacobean rose garden and a lower garden planted with shrubs, old roses and plants. There is also a small souvenir shop and information centre
Washington is situated in Tyne and Wear,and is part of the city of Sunderland and is in the northeast of England, 8 km/5 miles southeast of Newcastle upon Tyne, and on the River Wear. It was designated as a `new town` in 1964 when new districts or `villages` were constructed around the original old village of Washington. Washington has become my home town for over twenty years when we first moved into one of the new `villages` of the town. I originally came from an industrial shipbuilding town called Hebburn on the banks of the River Tyne.a few miles from Washington.Industries include electronics, car assembly (the huge Nissan car factory).and associated industries. and the manufacture of textiles, and electrical goods.There is a Peter Scott Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust reserve established in 1975. Its wildlife includes swans, geese, ducks, and flamingos.
LOCAL LINKS
more information about Washington
The International Kite Festival
genealogy record of the old town
Audrey Fletchers Washington site
The Galleries Shopping Centre Washington
The Bridges Shopping Centre Sunderland
local newspapers
