Pictures of Matfen Hall's hotel transformation in 1999

Matfen Hall, the Blackett family seat built in 1830, was in a transitionary state as occupiers, the Leonard Cheshire Foundation charity, had moved out of the hall.

Matfen Hall's restored library dining room in 1999 (Image: Tony Iley)

The mansion was used as a residential nursing home from 1965 to 1994 on behalf of the foundation, which supported disabled people to live and work and approximately 30 residents were cared for at the hall.

READ MORE: Luxury Northumberland hotel opens new state-of-the-art golf clubhouse

The elegant conservatory bar (Image: Tony Iley)

Owner Sir Hugh Blackett faced a difficult decision on the hall's future once the foundation had left the premises -  selling it, pulling it down and living in it weren't viable.

The steps leading to the restored vault rooms used to host functions and private parties after the restoration (Image: Tony Iley)

Sir Hugh and his wife Lady Blackett uncovered the perfect solution which would both restore the hall and hopefully safeguard its future for generations to come.

The sumptuous grandeur of the Terrace Room (Image: Tony Iley)

Matfen Hall was transformed into a golf and country club hotel in 1999, retaining its original character and atmosphere.

Matfen Hall's newly refurbished bridal suite in 1999, complete with a four-poster bed (Image: Tony Iley)

Keeping true to the original layout and design of the hall when Sir Hugh's great-great-grandfather, Sir Edward Blackett, first built it in 1830, was challenging as Sir Hugh hadn't stayed at Matfen Hall since he was a young child.

Matfen Hall was purchased by the Walwick Estate Group in 2020 and another refurbishment programme got underway (Image: Newsquest)

Architects relied on old photographs for reference and memories of other family members to restore the building as accurately as possible.

Matfen Hall has been refurbished several times over the years (Image: Newsquest)

Cheshire Homes had carried out many alterations to improve accessibility for disabled residents, including knocking down the existing ornamental conservatory, partitioning off rooms and installing new pipework, ramps and stairlifts.

Restorers also had to contend with damage caused by dry rot and normal wear and tear.

Spa and leisure facilities were installed in 2004 (Image: Kate Miller)

Matfen Hall eventually opened as a hotel in March 1999 after a £2m refurbishment programme which lasted two years and left no room untouched by the army of engineers, builders, plumbers, electricians and decorators.

The final part of the hall's transformation fell to Lady Blackett who oversaw the decoration.

North Berwick designer Alison Van Dijk helped Lady Blackett to choose and coordinate all carpeting, furniture, fabrics and accessories, from the hanging drapes to the letter racks and patterned hospitality trays in each of the hall's 31 bedrooms.

No two bedrooms were decorated the same way and required hundreds of yards of carpeting, some of which were specifically dyed to get the right hue.

Ornate plasterwork ceilings and friezes, after being restored, had to be painted in just the right colour, while the original ornate fireplaces, one of which was originally made for Buckingham Palace, had to be cleaned and incorporated into the room schemes.