Capernwray Hall
Encyclopedia
Capernwray Hall is a former country house situated 3 miles ENE of Carnforth
, Lancashire
, England, and is currently used as a Christian bible school and holiday centre. The house has been designated by English Heritage
as a Grade II* listed building. It stands in grounds included in the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens at Grade II.
architect Edmund Sharpe
had designed a private chapel in the grounds of the hall, now known as Capernwray Chapel
. In 1844 Sharpe remodelled the hall for George Marton
, retaining its rectangular core. He added a west wing containing dining and drawing rooms, a top-lit staircase, and Gothic
style windows. Later, in 1848, after Sharpe had been joined as a partner by E. G. Paley
, a stable and a service block were added to the east of the house. In 1875–76 a southeast block containing a billiard room was added by the successors in the practice, Paley and Austin.
with slate
roofs. Its architectural style is Perpendicular, and the hall is largely embattled
. It is mainly in two storeys. Its plan consists of a north entrance front, east and west wings, and a central range. Behind the north range is a four-storey tower, with a higher turret containing bell openings and a clock face. It is surmounted by a pyramidal roof. The north front has nine bays
. The lateral two bays on each side project forward. In the centre is a porch with corner turret
s and an oriel window
in the upper storey. The west front contains two two-storey bay window
s containing Perpendicular tracery
. The south front has a single-storey cant
ed bay window. To the east of the hall is the stable block. On the east side is a gatehouse with battlemented towers.
ed staircase and a first floor gallery. The dining and drawing rooms have moulded
timber ceilings and contain marble
fireplaces. The rooms are divided by an 18th-century wooden screen with Corinthian
pilaster
s. columns and an entablature
. It is said that the screen was moved from St Mary's Church, Lancaster
.
. There are four entrances, each of which has a lodge. To the southwest of the hall is a rose garden
, set out by Thomas Mawson
in 1901. To the northeast of the hall is a kitchen garden
. The remainder of the grounds are used mainly as pasture.
On September 11, 1946, the whole of the Capernwray estate went under auction in Lancaster
Town Hall, Capernwray Hall being described as "...one medium-sized family residence". On instructions from her husband, Major W. Ian Thomas
(who was away in Germany with the British Army), Mrs Joan Thomas attended the auction and finally won the bidding process.. Capernwray Hall thus became the property of the Thomas family (subsequently through their shareholding in Capernwray Hall Ltd). Since 1947 the hall has seen continuous use as a Christian centre, originally under the direction of Major Thomas and later by the next generation of the Thomas family, running a bible school (for approx 190 students) and residential-stay holidays.
On March 31, 1999 the majority of the assets and business of Capernwray Hall Ltd were transferred by way of a gift into the newly registered charity, The Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers
.
Carnforth
- References :...
, Lancashire
Lancashire
Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...
, England, and is currently used as a Christian bible school and holiday centre. The house has been designated by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
as a Grade II* listed building. It stands in grounds included in the Register of Historic Parks and Gardens at Grade II.
Early history
The house originated in 1805 for the Marton family, and was named Keer Bank. By 1830 its name had been changed to Capernwray Hall. In 1840 the LancasterLancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
architect Edmund Sharpe
Edmund Sharpe
Edmund Sharpe was an English architect and engineer. He started his career as an architect, initially on his own, then in partnership with Edward Paley, designing mainly churches but also some secular buildings...
had designed a private chapel in the grounds of the hall, now known as Capernwray Chapel
Capernwray Chapel
Capernwray Chapel is in the village of Capernwray, Over Kellet, Lancashire, England. Formerly the chapel to Capernwray Hall, it is now an independent Evangelical chapel. It has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II listed building....
. In 1844 Sharpe remodelled the hall for George Marton
George Marton (1801–1867)
George Marton was an English Conservative Party politician from Lancashire.At the 1837 general election, Marton was elected as Member of Parliament for Lancaster. He held the seat until he stood down from the House of Commons at the 1847 general election.In the 1820s, Marton's family built the...
, retaining its rectangular core. He added a west wing containing dining and drawing rooms, a top-lit staircase, and Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style windows. Later, in 1848, after Sharpe had been joined as a partner by E. G. Paley
Edward Graham Paley
Edward Graham Paley, usually known as E. G. Paley, , was an English architect who practised in Lancaster, Lancashire, in the second half of the 19th century.-Education and career:...
, a stable and a service block were added to the east of the house. In 1875–76 a southeast block containing a billiard room was added by the successors in the practice, Paley and Austin.
Exterior
Capernwray Hall is constructed in sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
with slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roofs. Its architectural style is Perpendicular, and the hall is largely embattled
Battlement
A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet , in which portions have been cut out at intervals to allow the discharge of arrows or other missiles. These cut-out portions form crenels...
. It is mainly in two storeys. Its plan consists of a north entrance front, east and west wings, and a central range. Behind the north range is a four-storey tower, with a higher turret containing bell openings and a clock face. It is surmounted by a pyramidal roof. The north front has nine bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
. The lateral two bays on each side project forward. In the centre is a porch with corner turret
Turret
In architecture, a turret is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building such as a medieval castle. Turrets were used to provide a projecting defensive position allowing covering fire to the adjacent wall in the days of military fortification...
s and an oriel window
Oriel window
Oriel windows are a form of bay window commonly found in Gothic architecture, which project from the main wall of the building but do not reach to the ground. Corbels or brackets are often used to support this kind of window. They are seen in combination with the Tudor arch. This type of window was...
in the upper storey. The west front contains two two-storey bay window
Bay window
A bay window is a window space projecting outward from the main walls of a building and forming a bay in a room, either square or polygonal in plan. The angles most commonly used on the inside corners of the bay are 90, 135 and 150 degrees. Bay windows are often associated with Victorian architecture...
s containing Perpendicular tracery
Tracery
In architecture, Tracery is the stonework elements that support the glass in a Gothic window. The term probably derives from the 'tracing floors' on which the complex patterns of late Gothic windows were laid out.-Plate tracery:...
. The south front has a single-storey cant
Cant
Cant, canting, or canted may refer to:*Empty, uncritical thought or talk - see *The slope or angle at which something is set, such as the frames of a ship's hull - again, see *Cant , a secret language...
ed bay window. To the east of the hall is the stable block. On the east side is a gatehouse with battlemented towers.
Interior
The staircase hall has an open timber roof, and contains a cantileverCantilever
A cantilever is a beam anchored at only one end. The beam carries the load to the support where it is resisted by moment and shear stress. Cantilever construction allows for overhanging structures without external bracing. Cantilevers can also be constructed with trusses or slabs.This is in...
ed staircase and a first floor gallery. The dining and drawing rooms have moulded
Molding (decorative)
Molding or moulding is a strip of material with various profiles used to cover transitions between surfaces or for decoration. It is traditionally made from solid milled wood or plaster but may be made from plastic or reformed wood...
timber ceilings and contain marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
fireplaces. The rooms are divided by an 18th-century wooden screen with Corinthian
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
pilaster
Pilaster
A pilaster is a slightly-projecting column built into or applied to the face of a wall. Most commonly flattened or rectangular in form, pilasters can also take a half-round form or the shape of any type of column, including tortile....
s. columns and an entablature
Entablature
An entablature refers to the superstructure of moldings and bands which lie horizontally above columns, resting on their capitals. Entablatures are major elements of classical architecture, and are commonly divided into the architrave , the frieze ,...
. It is said that the screen was moved from St Mary's Church, Lancaster
Lancaster Priory
Lancaster Priory, formerly St Mary's Church, Lancaster, is the parish church of the city of Lancaster, Lancashire, England. It is located near Lancaster Castle and has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade I listed building. It is an active Anglican church in the deanery of...
.
Grounds
The grounds consist of about 70 hectares of land sloping down to the River KeerRiver Keer
The River Keer is a river in Lancashire, England.For parts of its course, the Keer marks the boundary between Lancashire and Cumbria, as well as the ancient counties of Lancashire and Westmorland....
. There are four entrances, each of which has a lodge. To the southwest of the hall is a rose garden
Rose garden
A Rose garden or Rosarium is a garden or park, often open to the public, used to present and grow various types of garden roses. Designs vary tremendously and roses may be displayed alongside other plants or grouped by individual variety, colour or class in rose beds.-Origins of the rose...
, set out by Thomas Mawson
Thomas Hayton Mawson
Thomas Hayton Mawson , better known as T. H. Mawson, was a British garden designer, landscape architect, and town planner....
in 1901. To the northeast of the hall is a kitchen garden
Kitchen garden
The traditional kitchen garden, also known as a potager, is a space separate from the rest of the residential garden - the ornamental plants and lawn areas...
. The remainder of the grounds are used mainly as pasture.
Later history
During the Second World War the pupils from Ripley St Thomas School in Lancaster were evacuated to the hall, and the grounds were used by the army for storing petrol.On September 11, 1946, the whole of the Capernwray estate went under auction in Lancaster
Lancaster, Lancashire
Lancaster is the county town of Lancashire, England. It is situated on the River Lune and has a population of 45,952. Lancaster is a constituent settlement of the wider City of Lancaster, local government district which has a population of 133,914 and encompasses several outlying towns, including...
Town Hall, Capernwray Hall being described as "...one medium-sized family residence". On instructions from her husband, Major W. Ian Thomas
Major W. Ian Thomas
W. Ian Thomas was a Christian evangelical writer, theological teacher and founder of the Torchbearers bible schools.- Early life :...
(who was away in Germany with the British Army), Mrs Joan Thomas attended the auction and finally won the bidding process.. Capernwray Hall thus became the property of the Thomas family (subsequently through their shareholding in Capernwray Hall Ltd). Since 1947 the hall has seen continuous use as a Christian centre, originally under the direction of Major Thomas and later by the next generation of the Thomas family, running a bible school (for approx 190 students) and residential-stay holidays.
On March 31, 1999 the majority of the assets and business of Capernwray Hall Ltd were transferred by way of a gift into the newly registered charity, The Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers
Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers
Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers , more recently known as Torchbearers International is an evangelical Christian educational organization...
.
See also
- List of architectural works by Edmund Sharpe
- List of non-ecclesiastical works by E. G. Paley
- List of non-ecclesiastical works by Paley and Austin