Washington Old Hall

Alongside fun activities to do every day of October half term holidays, there's lots for the whole family to do here. Whether that's visiting the bird hide and playing hide and seek in the nuttery or having an adventure in the castle and collecting a wooden hobby horse to run around the gardens.

Discover the history of the Old Hall. Dating back to the thirteenth-century, this small manor house was home to the original Washington family, renovated before the English Civil War and went on to be a tenement building, lived in by up to nine families until the 1930s. It has seen a tremendous amount of history and people and is worth a visit. If you have any questions, a guide is on hand to help.

Through local artist Theresa Easton’s fantastic The Sunderland Book Project exhibition you can join us to celebrate Sunderland. Browse over 65 pieces of innovative handmade books created by a national or international artist, designer, bookmaker or printmaker.

Learn all about the past behind Washington during a stroll. Hear about key players in its history and the grand buildings in the village. You can even listen to it by borrowing an MP3 player from Washington Old Hall.

Artist Lindsey Mendick has a penchant for bright ceramics and clay. Known for bringing stories to life through elaborate scenes of art, Mendick is sure to add some flair to Washington's stories as part of the Meeting Point Project

With a reputation for working with video and audio, Dominic Watson avoids what could be the normal expectations of art to deliver engaging content to his audiences. Dominic originally hails from Sunderland and we hope he enjoys working within this historical space in his hometown.