Barwise Hall

Has been described as a Questionable Bastle

There are masonry ruins/remnants remains

NameBarwise Hall
Alternative NamesBerwise
Historic CountryWestmorland
Modern AuthorityCumbria
1974 AuthorityCumbria
Civil ParishHoff

Barwise Hall, house and barn, in the N.W. corner of the parish and 1 m. W. of Hoff Bridge. The House is of two storeys; the walls are of stone and the roofs are slate-covered. It was built probably by Sir John Sudwick in 1579, and the staircase wing appears to have been added by Reginald Dobson in 1676.

The house is an interesting and little altered example of the two periods.

The N. front (Plate 19) has a string-course between the storeys and original windows with stone mullions, square heads and moulded labels; the doorway (Plate 31) has moulded jambs continued to form two half-round arches on the face of the lintel; the door is nail-studded and hung on strap-hinges with ornamental ends. Above the doorway (Plate 31) is a panel with an impaled shield-of-arms and the initials and date I.S., A.S. 1579. The main S. side has string-course and windows similar to those in the N. front; the windows in the staircase-wing are similar and in the E. wall is a doorway with a segmental head and the initials and date R. and E.D. 1676. Inside the building, the main E. room has original moulded ceiling-beams and joists; there are similar beams also in the middle room. The fireplacerecess in the E. room has moulded jambs and segmental-pointed head; the closet adjoining has a doorway with a triangular arch in a square head and there is a similar doorway to the middle room, which is lined with 17th-century panelling. The late 17th-century staircase is of well-type, with turned balusters and square newels with ball-terminals. (RCHME 1936)

Gatehouse Comments

House built 1579 by Sir John Sudwick to a supposed 'bastle' plan. Lacks provisions for security. Site may date back to C13 when licence given for a chapel. An interesting house that deserves a fuller description but not fortified in any real sense.

- Philip Davis

Not scheduled

This is a Grade 2* listed building protected by law

Historic England Scheduled Monument Number
Historic England Listed Building number(s)
Images Of England
Historic England (PastScape) Defra or Monument number(s)
County Historic Environment Record
OS Map Grid ReferenceNY659176
Latitude54.5530586242676
Longitude-2.52828001976013
Eastings365950
Northings517660
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink

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Books

  • Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 29) p. 259
  • RCHME, 1936, An inventory of the historical monuments in Westmorland (HMSO) p. 112-3 plan [online transcription > http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=120764]
  • Hodgson, J., 1810, Topographical and Historical Description of Westmoreland p. 81 online copy

Other

  • Clare, T., 1982, A Report on Medieval Fortified Sites in Cumbria (Cumbria CC)