- Naworth Castle
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Coordinates: 54°57′20″N 2°41′20″W / 54.95556°N 2.68889°W
Naworth Castle
Naworth CastleNaworth Castle, also known as, or recorded in historical documents as "Naward", is a castle in Cumbria, England near the town of Brampton. It is adjacent to the A69 about two miles east of Brampton. It is on the opposite side of the River Irthing to, and just within sight of, Lanercost Priory. It was the seat of the Barons Dacre and their descendants in a female line, the Earls of Carlisle, and is currently occupied by Philip Howard, brother and heir presumptive of the 13th Earl of Carlisle.
The castle is thought to have late 13th-century origins, in the form of a square keep and bailey. It was first mentioned in 1323, and in 1335 a licence to crenellate was granted to Ralph Dacre. Residential quarters were added in the early 16th century by Thomas, Lord Dacre and there were further additions in 1602, for his successor Lord William Howard. It is likely that an 18th-century walled garden overlies the filled moat.
Howard purchased back the Dacre family estate from King James and took up residence with his children and grandchildren at Naworth Castle. He restored the castle, improved the estate and established order in that part of the country. He had a large family of children, of whom Philip, his heir, was the grandfather of Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Carlisle, and his younger son Francis was the ancestor of the Howards of Corby.
William Morris, the artist and socialist, stayed at the castle in August, 1874. In a letter to Aglaia Coronio he writes "...all is very pleasant. Ned & I pass our mornings in a most delightful room in one of the towers that has not been touched since William Howard of Queen Elizabeth's time lived there: the whole place is certainly the most poetical in England."[1]
From 1939 to 1940 Naworth was occupied by Rossall School, which had been evacuated from its own buildings by various government departments.
Miscellanea
- The Castle has a well-preserved priest hole.
- Francis Galton is said to have invented the concept of correlation at Naworth Castle.[1]
- The nearby level crossing is said to be haunted. A respected signalman claimed to have heard the ghostly cries of two young children every time he worked the crossing and spoke of a colleague who claimed to have interacted with a ghost.[2] Both men discussed their experiences on the ITV series Extreme Ghost Stories. Locals have expressed a fear of visiting Naworth at night due to the creepy atmosphere.[3]
References
- ^ P. Henderson, ed., The Letters of William Morris to His Family and Friends (London: Longmans, 1950)
- ^ Nikki Dodds, "GHOSTLY SIGNALS", in News & Star dated 25 October 2004
- ^ Extreme Ghosts Stories. ITV. January 2006. No. 2.
External links
Categories:- Country houses in Cumbria
- Castles in Cumbria
- Grade I listed buildings in Cumbria
- Howard family (English aristocracy)
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