Lowther Hall

Has been described as a Certain Pele Tower

There are no visible remains

NameLowther Hall
Alternative NamesLowther Castle; Louder
Historic CountryWestmorland
Modern AuthorityCumbria
1974 AuthorityCumbria
Civil ParishLowther

The medieval manor house of the Lowther family consisted of a peel of three storeys on the east, a hall, great chamber and at the west end a tower built in the 1570s. Between 1628 and 1664 it was transformed by rebuilding and extensions by Sir John Lowther and his son and Alexander Pogmire. Except for the wings, the old house was demolished in 1692 and a new mansion in red sandstone was erected by Edward Addison. The upper storey and most of the east or chapel wing was destroyed by fire in 1718. Small additions were made in 1802 by adding new kitchens and offices. The present house of picturesque composition with turrets and central tower was built, but unfinished, in 1806-14 by Robert Smirke incorporating the surviving C17 wings and kitchen block of 1802. The house was closed in 1935, the roofs were removed and the interior gutted in 1957. (PastScape–ref. Port)

Lowther Castle, 750 yards S.S.E. of the church, is largely a modern building. A house was built on the site by Sir John Lowther about the middle of the 17th century and was largely re-built in 1685. This house was burnt in 1720 and the present castle built in 1808. Of the 17th-century building portions survive in lower walls of the kitchen-wing and two rectangular blocks immediately to the N. of it. The old parts of the kitchen-wing are ashlar-faced but the other blocks are of rubble. In the basement of the main N. range are some 17th-century doorways, probably re-set. In the grounds is a large number of worked and moulded stones from Shap Abbey and other buildings in the neighbourhood. There is also the bowl of a font, dated 1679 and a portion of a cross-shaft (9 in. by 5½ in.) with a running vine-scroll, probably of the 9th century

Inside the house are two 8th-century cross-shafts (Plate 6), possibly from Lowther church, one has vine-scrolls of the same type as Heversham, the other has beasts in a vine-scroll, long-beaked ribbon animals and two designs of vine-scroll.

Condition—Good. (RCHME 1936)

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 ReferenceNY522238
Latitude54.6073684692383
Longitude-2.74156999588013
Eastings352200
Northings523850
HyperLink HyperLink HyperLink
Photo by Matthew Emmott All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Photo by Matthew Emmott All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Photo by Matthew Emmott All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Photo by Matthew Emmott All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Photo by Matthew Emmott All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Photo by Matthew Emmott All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Photo by Matthew Emmott All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
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Photo by Matthew Emmott All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Copyright Dave Barlow of Abaroths World All Rights ReservedView full Sized Image
Photograph by Matthew Emmott. All rights reservedView full Sized Image

Most of the sites or buildings recorded in this web site are NOT open to the public and permission to visit a site must always be sought from the landowner or tenant.

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Books

  • Cooper, Nicholas, 1999, Houses of the Gentry, 1480-1680 (Yale University Press) p. 237, 239, 264, 293, 304
  • Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 29) p. 290-1 (plan)
  • Salter, Mike, 1998, The Castles and Tower Houses of Cumbria (Malvern: Folly Publications) p. 72
  • Jackson, M.J.,1990, Castles of Cumbria (Carlisle: Carel Press) p. 72-3
  • Owen, H., 1990, The Lowther Family (Phillimore) p. 207
  • King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol. 2 p. 494
  • Hugill, Robert, 1977, Castles and Peles of Cumberland and Westmorland (Newcastle; Frank Graham) p. 124-130
  • Smith, A.H., 1967, Place Names of Westmorland. Part II: The barony of Westmorland, analyses, index, maps (English Place Name Society 43) p. 184
  • Anon, 195?, A Short History of Lowther and the Lowther Family (Carlisle: Thurnams Printers)
  • RCHME, 1936, An inventory of the historical monuments in Westmorland (HMSO) p. 160 no. 3 online transcription
  • Curwen, J.F., 1932, 'Parishes (West Ward): St Michael, Lowther' The Later Records relating to North Westmorland: or the Barony of Appleby (Kendal: CWAAS Record Series 8)p. 329 online transcription
  • Curwen, J.F., 1913, Castles and Fortified Towers of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire North of the Sands (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 13) p. 151, 300
  • Harvey, Alfred, 1911, Castles and Walled Towns of England (London: Methuen and Co)
  • Taylor, M.W., 1892, Old Manorial Halls of Westmorland and Cumberland (Kendal: CWAAS Extra Series 8) p. 93-6 online copy
  • Sullivan, R.J., 1785, A Tour through parts of England, Scotland and Wales in 1778, in a series of letters Vol. 2 p. 238

Antiquarian

  • Hughes, E. (ed), 1962, Fleming-Senhouse Papers (Carlisle: Cumberland Record Series 2) p. 27
  • Manuscripts of the Reverend Thomas Machell, vicar of Kirkby Thore (d 1698)Vol. 1 p. 123, Vol. 3 p. 42 (preserved at the Cumberland Record Office)
  • Celia Fiennes, 1888, Through England on a Side Saddle in the Time of William and Mary (London: Field and Tuer, The Leadenhall Press) Vision of Britain online transcription

Journals

  • Tyson, B., 1996, 'Some Cumbrian builders, 1670–1780' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 96 p. 161-85 online copy
  • Port, M.H., 1984, 'Lowther Hall and Castle Illustrated' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 84 p. 191-204 online copy
  • Port, M.H., 1981, 'Lowther Hall and Castle' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 81 p. 123-36 online copy
  • Ragg, F.W., 1916, 'Early Lowther and de Louther' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 16 p. 108- online copy

Primary Sources

  • Ragg, F.W., 1924, 'Early Barton: its subsidiary manors and manors connected therewith' Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol. 24 p. 345-7 (mention as castellum in 1250) online copy

Other

  • Historic England, 2016, Heritage at Risk North West Register 2016 (London: Historic England) p. 24 online copy
  • Historic England, 2015, Heritage at Risk North West Register 2015 (London: Historic England) p. 25, 26 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2014, Heritage at Risk Register 2014 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 26 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2013, Heritage at Risk Register 2013 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 26 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2012, Heritage at Risk Register 2012 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 39 online copy
  • English Heritage, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011 North West (London: English Heritage) p. 36 online copy