Rose Castle Dalston • Cumbria Rose Castle DALSTON • Cumbria One of the most significant houses in the north of England Lot 1 Grade I listed Castle with formal gardens and grounds, 2 cottages, farmhouse, modern and traditional farm buildings, farm cottage, 21.88 acres of arable, 17.26 acres of pasture in all about 61.46 acres Lot 2 Excellent block of productive agricultural land and a mixture of amenity woodland, 33.68 acres of pasture, 39.7 acres of arable, 8.24 acres of woodland, fishing on the River Caldew in all about 86.38 acres lot 3 Arable and pasture land with mature woodland and fishing on the River Caldew, 14.80 acres of pasture, 19.92 acres of arable, 7.81 acres of woodland in all about 45.30 acres Whole: in all about 193.14 acres Dalston 3 miles • Carlisle 8 miles • Penrith 18 miles (All distances are approximate) These particulars are intended only as a guide and must not be relied upon as statements of fact. Your attention is drawn to the Important Notice on the last page of the text. situation Rose Castle sits in an elevated position overlooking historic parkland within the beautiful Caldew Valley. The castle is south and east facing and its view over the valley below has remained unchanged for decades. To the south, Caldbeck Fell and the northern hills of the Lake District stand at the head of the valley. This part of Cumbria is known for its unspoilt beauty and rolling hills. Lush grassland and traditional agricultural practices have maintained the exceptionally scenic nature of the countryside for generations. The Caldew Valley is well placed for practical modern life. The City of Carlisle lies 8 miles to the north and contains all the services you would expect from a regional centre; hospitals, schools, supermarkets and a railway station providing a direct service to London Euston in just over 3 hours and 20 minutes. Main line rail services run throughout the country and to Glasgow and Edinburgh. The M6 is within a 20 minute drive of Rose Castle, providing access to many of the UK’s major regional cities including Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Newcastle and Glasgow. Rose Castle is extremely well placed for both state and independent schooling. The independent schools in the area are Lime House (about a mile away), Austin Friars St Monica’s (about 7 miles) and Sedburgh (about 49 miles) together with its Preparatory School, Casterton (about 58 miles). All take boys and girls from 3 or 4 to 18. Cumbria offers a wealth of recreational activities including golf courses, Carlisle United football club, horse racing at Carlisle and Cartmel, walking, mountain biking and cultural opportunities including theatres and Carlisle Cathedral. The Lake District is within comfortable reach of Rose Castle. Field sports are available locally. Directions Leave the M6 at Junction 42 (Carlisle South). From the roundabout, take Newbiggin Road signposted for Dalston. After 2.7 miles at Durdar, continue straight over the staggered crossroads for Dalston. Follow this road for approximately 5.5 miles until you cross the River Caldew. At the junction immediately after the bridge, turn left onto the B5299. Proceed up the hill and follow the road around to the left. On the apex of the next bend, bear left and, after a short distance, the pillared entrance to Rose Castle will be straight ahead. The postcode is CA5 7BZ. Historical notes Rose Castle has a fascinating social and architectural history wall, parapet and corner turret give some idea of the mantle spanning almost 800 years. wall’s original appearance. Rose Castle was first recorded as a Bishop’s residence in 1233. outer Court of the Castle Royal permission was granted to fortify the residence in 1355 The outer court of the castle lies between the north range and and Bishop Welton set about building a castle consisting of the gateway. The north range is the most complete side of curtain walls, built around a central courtyard with a tower at the original castle, although its constituent parts are of varying each corner. This structure was surrounded by a turreted mantle dates. The section of rougher stonework to the left of the front wall, with a defensive gateway at its north-west corner. Beyond door is the oldest surviving part of the curtain wall of the castle. lay the moat, crossed by a drawbridge. The existing gateway, bell’s tower strickland’s tower Bell’s Tower was added by Bishop Richard Bell in 1488 when he In the north east corner of the castle’s original four sided curtain Anthony Salvin (1799-1881) was a renowned English architect who rebuilt the first-floor chapel. The tower is personalised to the bishop wall stands Strickland’s Tower. It is named after Bishop William gained a reputation as an expert on medieval buildings. A great deal with his monogram, or rebus, ‘RB’ and a bell below the parapet. Strickland, who was bishop of Carlisle from 1400 to 1419, although of his work was to restore, refit and create castles, notably Windsor the tower is certainly earlier than that. The tower’s basement was Castle, Peckforton Castle and Alnwick Castle. reputed to have been used as a prison. There are two further floors, each consisting of a single chamber and access to the turret. The tower was damaged in the Civil War and then left in a ruined state until the 1760s, when Bishop Charles Lyttelton partially repaired it. In 1852 Bishop Hugh Percy commissioned the architect, Anthony Salvin, to restore it. the north range The chapel is situated on the first floor. Its style is clearly Regency Gothic, designed by Thomas Rickman for Bishop Hugh Percy in the restoration of 1829-1831. The style replaced the late 17th century classical style adopted for the restoration by William Thackeray between 1672 and 1675, and some of the masonry is adorned with the Rose motif, seen throughout the castle in varying guises. Thomas Rickman (1776-1841) was a major figure in the gothic revival. He is also known for his antiquarian interest in church architecture. He was one of the most successful architects of his time and built churches in Bristol, Birmingham, Preston, Glasgow and Coventry as well as several country houses. the West range The West Range is medieval in origin and was also refaced by Thomas Rickman. It contains the state and private dining rooms on the ground floor, the state and private drawing rooms on the first floor and bedrooms on the second floor. Historically, the castle extended beyond the southern end of the West Range. The building was demolished and a new façade put in its place. The door in the façade has the initials ‘TB’ for Bishop Thomas Bloomer and the date 1955, marking the year in which the castle was reoccupied following the war years. rose Castle interior Entrance The impressive front door was designed by Rickman. The lock and key was given by Lady Anne Clifford, Countess of Pembroke, in 1683. It is dated with the initials ‘AP’. Inside, the hall is dominated by Rickman’s grand staircase and landing which incorporates Percy heraldry and the Rose motif. state Dining room The State Dining Room and Private Dining Room are paired with the State and Private Drawing Rooms on the floor above. They form the main spaces for large scale entertaining. In their present form they bear the stamp of Thomas Rickman’s Regency Gothic architectural style of about 1830, incorporating two impressive fireplaces and a painted Rose-theme ceiling. state Drawing room The State Drawing Room has Chinese wallpaper which has become one of the most frequently celebrated features of the castle. It is painted on very fine paper which has been removed and cleaned periodically. The wallpaper pattern and its chinoiserie style suggests an earlier date than Rickman’s 1829-1831 restoration when it is thought to have been installed. The main features of the room are very much in the Rickman style and, as with the State Dining Room, incorporates large fireplaces and painted features on the ceiling. Chapel The chapel is entered from the first floor landing via a pair of double doors. They have been on the site since at least 1488, when work on it and Bell’s Tower beyond is recorded. It was destroyed by fire in the Civil War and then rebuilt in 1664 and finally, like so much of the castle, remodelled by Rickman for Bishop Hugh Percy in 1829-1831. Rickman introduced a Gothic east window and introduced Gothic tracery to the windows on the south side. The stained glass in the windows is later than Rickman’s remodelling and is thought to have been installed in 1870-1873 by Bishop Harvey Goodwin and others. Rickman altered the doors and the ceiling, which he decorated with the diocesan and Percy arms. The linen-fold panelling of the stalls is reputed to have come from Lambeth Palace. approximate Gross internal Floor area 1509.2 sq.m/16244.7 sq.ft. this plan is for guidance only and must not be relied upon as a statement of fact. attention is drawn to the important notice on the last page of the text of the Particulars second Floor First Floor strickland tower Ground Floor rose Castle – notable Historical Events too overlooks the main lawn. The majority of the bedrooms are situated on the first and second floors. They are all of a good size 1255 – Beginnings of a masonry structure. The first known letter and are well proportioned. from Rose Castle, 23rd February The chapel is situated off the first floor landing.