Geograph - photograph every grid square

A typically monumental John Vanbrugh design. There was never a hint of daintiness in his work, everything is muscular and powerful and he often harked back to older building forms, particularly castles. Even though it has been cleaned, the still-blackened stone seems fitting. It was built for Admiral George Delaval in 1718-29. Neither protagonist lived to see it finished. Grade I listed.
The house has been largely an empty shell for years, ravaged by fires in 1752 and 1822. After an uncertain period, in 2009 the National Trust raised the £6.3 million necessary to subsume the house and grounds into its empire.
A peek inside: NZ3276 : Detail of Seaton Delaval Hall, Seaton Delaval].