Remembrance Sunday marks the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women in the two World Wars and later conflicts, and since Seaham Hall has had such a historic past we wanted to provide you with an insight to Seaham Hall’s history during the war, after and how its past shaped its future.
At the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, Seaham Hall was placed the house at the disposal of the British Army to be used as a military hospital, the hospital which treated over 3,534 patients and house 112 beds, during the course of the conflict, returned to the Londonderry family in March 1919.The hospital was a great asset to the British Army, and saw it help wounded soldiers that might not have otherwise survived The Great War, making the hospital such a necessity during the war; it provided a haven of safety and health for Soldiers and those that fought for our freedom on the front line, with the help from women who volunteered to care for wounded soldiers at VAD Hospitals accross the North East, including the hospital which was at Seaham Hall.
After The Great War, some years later, Seaham Hall found itself back into the nature of healthcare, except this time it was converted into a sanatorium for those suffering with tuberculosis. When it opened again in 1928, Seaham Hall had beds for women and children. 80 to be exact, which at the time was an extreme amount, but not in comparison to what was needed, or to that of what we would find in a typical NHS hospital today.
You can see how the past of Seaham Hall has ultimately shaped the future, it’s been a home, it’s provided sanctuary and today, it’s came full circle back to a home, your home. We welcome you to make our hall your home. Seaham Hall, steeped in history and thankful for those who fought for us, situated on the North East Coast line, is close to ‘Tommy’ our local World War 1 war hero statue, by artist Ray Lonsdale, it is located close to Seaham’s already existing war memorial, by the seafront, so during a stay at Seaham Hall why not visit Tommy, or in fact this Remembrance weekend, pay a visit and wear your poppy with pride in honour of the soldiers that have fallen.
