Before setting off on our recent trip to England we decided to have a look at our National Trust handbook and see if there was anywhere nearby which we could visit, which is how we came across Washington Old Hall. It’s where George Washington of US fame’s family originally hailed from, although there is a letter from him to another family member in which he says that he isn’t really interested in his family history. I think he was too busy thinking of the future rather than the past, which is fair enough. Part of the house goes back to mediaeval times.

There’s a lot of Americana (if that’s a word) on display, as you would imagine, it’s a popular destination for Yanks.

There’s a nice garden around the back, including a nut walk but I was particularly taken with this box hedging design at the side. I don’t think it would have been particularly difficult to do but it is very effective.

One thing which really annoyed me is the fact that here was absolutely nothing for sale in Washington Old Hall, not so much as a postcard. Often the shops attached to any tourist attraction can be really naff and tacky, but I couldn’t help thinking that especially for people who had come all the way from the US to see the place, they should have had something to offer for sale in the way of postcards or books. I think the National Trust have to get their act together!

Washington Old Hall is in the village of Washington in Tyne and Wear which is in the north of England.