Cragside

After our brief stop at the Angel of the North, we drove on to Cragside, a National Trust property.

Cragside was created by two remarkable individuals, William and Margaret Armstrong.

William George Armstrong was a Victorian industrialist, inventor and philanthropist. He is best known for his pioneering work in engineering and the development of hydraulic cranes, which revolutionised the construction industry.

Margaret Armstrong, née Ramshaw, was William's second wife and lifelong partner. She shared his passion for innovation and engineering, and together they built Cragside into a magnificent estate that would become a symbol of their success.

Cragside is not only known for its impressive architecture and stunning landscape, but also for its many technological advancements. The most notable being that it was the first house in the world to be lit by hydroelectricity. The Armstrongs installed a turbine on their property's waterfall and used it to power the entire house with electricity.

Armstrong was the first engineer to be raised to the peerage. When he died, on 27 December 1900, at the age of 90, The Times said in its obituary: 'With his death Newcastle loses her greatest citizen and the country at large one of the worthies of the expiring century.'

We loved our visit to Cragside - despite the drizzly weather! The innovative house and the extensive gardens were both well worth spending a few hours in.Read more