Eads Hall, Whitfield, Scotland

Field where Eads Hall stood

In A Pawn for a King, Ada de Warenne, Queen Mother of Scotland, Eads Hall is Ada de Warenne's first home after she marries Henry, Prince of Scotland. The Hall is  in Whitfield, Northumberland.

The mansion was originally a hunting lodge, and when Waltheof, the Prince's maternal grandfather, bought it, he fortified it and added more buildings, making it a proper palace. Waltheof had a sad ending, suffering beheading at the command of William the Conquerer for his part in the Revolt of the Earls.

Chapel of St. John

Looking across the field to the brook

Prince Henry, who inherited the Earldom of Huntington, took over Eads Hall in the late 1130s. The nearby medieval church,  Chapel of St. John, served Eads Hall in those days, and still stands across the brook from where the mansion was located. 


After Henry's death, Ada de Warenne made her home in Haddington, Scotland, and gave the Hall to her chaplain, Robert. 
She also gave her land in Whitfield to the nuns at Hexham Abbey.



The chaplain and his family took on the name of Whitfield, and it is said that those who go by the surname today are his descendants.


There is nothing left of Eads Hall today, only the field where once it stood. The trees on the right in the photo line the brook, and St. John's church stands just beyond them, surrounded by its impressive old graveyard. 

Door to Chapel of St. John

The area known as Whitfield--not much of the village is left but an elementary school and scattered homes throughout the valley.

 It is a beautiful drive to the spot, (through the moors from the south) a lovely walk through the church graveyard (beware of the pretty, Scottish thistles), and a serene place to remember Ada de Warenne and her love, Henry, the Prince of Scotland.

Thistles line path to chapel

Highway A69 runs between Carlisle and New Castle. Whitfield is shown almost centerpoint.

Have you driven through this area of England/Northumbria, and what were your impressions?

Reigate, Surrey, England: Ada de Warenne's Birthplace

There is nothing left of the castle in Reigate, Surrey, England, that was the birthplace of Ada de Warenne (cir. 1120.) But now a beautiful garden and memorial marks the spot.

The medieval village's original name was Churchefelle, the castle being Reigate, but today the town claims the castle's name. Beautiful modern-day Reigate is rated among the highest real estate values in the UK.

Ada's father, William de Warenne II, was the Earl of Surrey until his death in 1138, and his son, William, inherited the earldom. The castle stood on a hill, and looked over the village below. There are no ruins, but a memorial stands, and gardens now fills the space--an inviting spot to come and remenisce as times gone past.

 To get to the castle yard, find the stairs to the right of Boots Pharmacy in down town Reigate. They will take you to this delightful memorial arch built in 1777 by Richard Barnes. 



The plaque reads:
"To save the memory of William Earl Warren "who in old days dwelt here, and was a loyal champion of our liberties from perishing like his own castle by the ravages of time."

No admission fee.

Tribute to Earl William de Warenne

The gardens at the top are as peaceful as one would imagine the Garden of Eden, as the first below video reveals. 

There is also a cave beneath where the castle stood, known as Baron's Cave, and is open on certain days to the public. Here is the website telling the details.

Richard Vobes' video on Reigate Castle gives more of the history of the area.