We first thought about going to Lowther Castle in November when we
found out about the craft fair they were putting on until Christmas Eve.
However other commitments, and then the dreadful weather Cumbria and Southern
Scotland experienced, prevented us going until now. Even then when we
looked out the window and saw the fog and drizzle, we wondered if it was the
right day to go. The weather forecast said there would be cloud and some rain
at first but that it would then clear up in the afternoon. Would they be
right?? We have to say they have been very accurate recently so decided to go!
Well they were correct about the rain – as we got to Carlisle it was
quite wet and misty – but then it brightened up! Our planned route had to be
adjusted slightly as some roads were still closed (due to flooding). We ended
up travelling through little villages with narrow wooded roads, spotting 2 deer
bounding through the trees at one point. There were plenty of signs announcing
the presence of red squirrels – but no sight of them on this occasion. Everywhere
still looked very wet and muddy and the streams and rivers were full and
free-flowing.
On arrival at Lowther we saw evidence of the snow they had recently
experienced, with a few small deposits at the edges of the car park. The Lowther
Estate is large and was originally laid out in the 16th and 17th centuries. It
was subsequently remodelled and the Lowther family are still maintaining and
restoring the parkland today.
The last family resident was the
fifth Earl, who left the castle on New Year’s Day 1936. The castle was then
requisitioned by the army during the Second World War for secret tank weapon
testing in the gardens. The sixth Earl sold the castle contents in 1947 and
after trying to find alternative ways of saving the architectural heritage of
the site, the seventh Earl removed the roof and all the interior structure of
the building in 1957.
The gardens were then used to house a large chicken farm and commercial
forestry business, while the rest of the gardens and the castle were left to
fall into ruin. The Lowther Estate and English Heritage entered into a
partnership in 1999 to reverse the deterioration of the castle, gardens and
stable courtyard and turn Lowther Castle into a Visitor Attraction.
Work is still ongoing today.
Hunger took us first to the old coach house where the café is now
found.
Feeling refreshed we moved across the courtyard to the shop and stables,
where the craft fair was housed. According to Lowther we would find “beautiful
crafts & gifts” at the fair, many from local artists & designers.
They were not wrong – there were many stunning items on display, with
much time and effort put into their construction. The stables provided lovely
surroundings for the decorations and gifts that were on display. We were able
to wander around the displays, and the gifts in the shop, in our own time.
Finally leaving the courtyard after a lovely time – we realised the
weather was lovely too!
The sky was blue and the sun was shining!
The drive
home was dry, with sun on the hills and white clouds skidding across the sky.
As an extra treat there was also a lovely sunset. It wasn’t quite what we
expected when we set out, but after the weather we have had recently, it was a
real bonus for us.
