Save Red Barns

Gertrude Bell was born in Washington Hall in 1868 from a very wealthy family. The same year her father commissioned a new home in Red Barns (Redcar). Two very popular men of the Arts and Crafts movement, Philip Webb and William Morris, designed the house and the interiors respectively. Gertrude Bell grew up in this house and came back here from her numerous travels and adventures. She addressed many of her letters to her family in Red Barns. After the First World War, luck ran out for the Bell family. The property was sold, and Red Barns became a boarding house for school pupils from the Sir William Turner School and was later converted into a pub and hotel. Now the hotel has closed, leaving the house vulnerable to vandalism.

Research tools:
  • Discover Gertrude Bell Research website: click here.
  • Read Gertrude Bell Comics: click here.
  • Watch the introductory video: click here.
  • To look at the pictures of Red Barns taken by Gertrude Bell: go to the Gertrude Bell Archive website (click here), click on Search and digit Red Barn.
  • Read the letters written by Gertrude Bell to her family members in Red Barns: go to the Gertrude Bell Archive website (click here), click on Search and digit Red Barn.
  • See how Red Barns is today: click here
  • Discover more on the Red Barns revival campaign: click here.  
Classroom Activity: devise your own campaign to give Red Barns a new life

What is the future of Red Barns? Go on a trip and try to find out what happened to the building. Take pictures of Red Barn today and encourage the kids to compare them to those taken by Gertrude. What has changed? Why? Encourage your pupils to write campaign posters to gain Red Barns a new future.

Links to the curriculum

Persuasive writing, geography, history.

Download a pdf file for of this activity

KS1-4 Save Red Barns