Workington Hall
Also known as, or recorded in historical
documents as; Wirkyngton
In the civil parish of Workington.
In the historic county of Cumberland (Modern Authority of Cumbria, 1974 county of Cumbria).
Fortified tower house with various additions, now in ruins. Mid C14 with C15 and C16 alterations and additions; late 1783-1789 additions by John Carr for the Curwen family. Mixed large blocks of red and calciferous sandstone with additions of similar rubble stone, all without roofs; oldest parts on chamfered plinth. Rectangular 3-storey tower with adjoining L-shaped medieval wing reduced to single-storey and rebuilt as 3 storeys by Carr; also adjoined by C15 hall range of 2 storeys, 5 bays, all enclosing courtyard on 2 sides, the quadrangle completed by a medieval gatehouse tower and wing by Carr. Tower was extensively renovated by Carr but retains some original loops, internal spiral staircase and mural chambers. Late C18 round and flat-headed windows, all unglazed. Wing has projecting 3-storey garderobe turret and ground-floor loops; large first-floor late C18 round-headed window openings, those above in ruins. Late C18 canted bay window to left. Further right-angled kitchen range of similar details, with angle turret. Hall range has blocked windows and doorways of various dates; 2 ground-floor early C16 2-light windows and upper-floor C15 window. Inner wall has C15 doorways and blocked early C16 multi-light windows. 3-storey gatehouse has flanking guardrooms with angle turret to right, showing a number of small original chamfered-surround windows; the round-headed through archway and windows are late C18 alterations. Adjoining late C18 wing has similar flat-headed window openings. Ancestral home of the Curwen family who obtained a licence to crenellate in 1380 (granted to Gilbert Curwen) (the foundation stone for the tower is said to have been laid 8 May 1362) and owned by them until sold to the local council mid C20. After vandalisation the council reduced the building to a controlled ruin. (Images of England)
Full plan and detailed description at http://www.allerdale.gov.uk/downloads/page15/3891-Workington_Hall_Gazetteer-Web.pdf
A Royal licence
to crenellate was
granted in 1380 March 4.
This site is a scheduled
monument protected by law. This is a
Grade 1 listed
building protected by law*. (Images
of England number 72269)
The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NY00772880
This site's English Heritage (PastScape) Defra or Monument number is
8877
This site's County Historic Environment Record (formerly
Sites and Monuments Record) number is 3690 'grey' literature, such as watching brief reports, held by H.E.R.s
is often poorly referenced and is unlikely to be recorded in this website.
- Web site links
- Books
- Lloyd Evans Prichard, Jan 2006, Workington Hall Conservation Plan http://www.allerdale.gov.uk/downloads/page15/3891-Workington_Hall_CMP-Web.pdf
Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (CWAAS) p110
Salter, Mike, 1998, The Castles and Tower Houses of Cumbria (Malvern) p94
Emery, Anthony, 1996, Greater Medieval Houses Vol1 (Cambridge) p256, 263
Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p47-8
Cope, Jean, 1991, Castles in Cumbria (Cicerone Press) p122-4
Jackson, M.J.,1990, Castles of Cumbria (Carel Press) p92-3 [plan]
Jackson H. and M., 1988, Workington Hall 1500-1900
King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1
Hugill, Robert, 1977, Castles and Peles of Cumberland and Westmorland (Newcastle; Frank Graham) p185-7
Pevsner, N., 1967, The Buildings of England: Cumberland and Westmorland (Harmondsworth, Penguin) p209-10
Curwen, J.F., 1913, Castles and Fortified Towers of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire North of the Sands (Kendal) p190, 244-7
Turner, T.H. and Parker, J.H., 1859, Some account of Domestic Architecture in England (Oxford) Vol3 pt2 p207-8, 418
- Journal Articles
- Guidebooks
- Primary (Medieval documents or transcriptions of such documents
- This section is far from complete and the secondary
sources should be consulted for full references.)
- Calendar of Patent Rolls (1377-81) p447
- Antiquarian (Histories and accounts from late medieval and early modern writers)
- Other sources, 'grey' literature, unpublished works, etc. (Theses, in-house reports and other such)
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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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may be derived from information compiled by and/or copyright of English
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given should be consulted to identify the original copyright holder
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The bibliography owes much to various bibliographies produced by
John Kenyon for the Council
for British Archaeology, the Castle Studies Group and others.
Suggestions for finding online and/or hard copies of bibliographical sources can be seen at this link. |
It is an offence to disturb a
Scheduled Monument without consent. It is a destruction of
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without proper recording and reporting. Don't use metal detectors on historic sites without authorisation. |
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*The listed building
may not be the actual medieval building, but a building on the site
of, or incorporating fragments of, the described site.
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