In 1718 saddled with debts incurred by other members of the
family, John Delaval was forced to sell the 6,500-acre Delaval
estate to his kinsman, Admiral George Delaval.
From a less wealthy branch of the family, this self-made man had
the good fortune to be appointed British Envoy to Portugal and
Morocco with responsibility for buying materials and supplies for
the British Army, and as a result had amassed a considerable
personal fortune.
Immediately he arrived on the scene, the Admiral took one look
at the crumbling old Delaval manor house in Seaton Burn Dene and
decided to build a family seat on a much grander scale.
Delaval Hall
The man he turned to was Sir John Vanbrugh, architect of
Blenheim Palace and Castle Howard, who was instructed to design a
great mansion a short distance inland just far enough away from the
dirt and smells of the moneymaking harbour!
Sadly, before the palatial Palladian mansion was completed the
Admiral met his death after falling from his horse. Today the base
of an obelisk to be found just off the tree-fringed avenue to the
west of the hall marks the place where he was unseated. Legend has
it that with one foot trapped in a stirrup, the Admiral was dragged
across fields and died at the very spot marked by the tall obelisk
standing in a field due south of the hall.
And, so in 1723 the Delaval estates were inherited by the
Admiral's nephew - Francis Blake Delaval. a young naval captain,
who must have been alarmed to discover that he would have to pick
up the £10000 bill when building work on the hall was
completed.
The cache is located at the remainder of the obelisk base where
the Admiral was dragged from. Take the time to view the complete
matching obelisk, he was dragged too, viewed through the trees in a
south easterly direction.
Delaval Obelisk
There was a 3rd obelisk on the seaward side but sadly there is
no record of where it stood.
The cache is a small tupperware container holding a log book,
pencil and some swappable items. The cache is also capable of
taking some travel bugs and geocoins.