The manor of Shawdon was owned by Thomas Lilburn, a member of the House of Lilburn, in the 15th century. A survey of 1541 disclosed a 'tower in measurable good reparation' in the ownership of Cuthbert Proctor.[2]
The new owner William Hargrave (who was High Sheriff of Northumberland in 1783) demolished the old house and replaced it in 1779 with a new mansion, probably designed by architect William Newton. The house is of two stories with a seven-bay entrance front, the central three bays being pilastered and with a pediment bearing the 1817 arms of Pawson.[4]
Following the death of Hargrave in 1817 the 1,050-acre (4.2 km2) estate passed by the marriage of the Hargrave heiress to John Pawson.[5] Later Pawsons to serve as High Sheriff were William in 1826 and William John in 1861.
The hall and estate were most recently sold in September 2018 for £2,684,868[6] to Dulce Maria De Barros Marchi Packard.[7]
Important historical artifacts have been found on the Shawdon Hall estate. In 1761 two Roman urns containing human remains were unearthed and in 1828 gold coins including a rare rose noble from the time of Edward I were found.[8]
