Moresby Hall
Encyclopedia
Moresby Hall is a manor house and hotel in Parton
, Cumbria
, overlooking the Cumbrian Fells. It is located south of Lowca
, off the A595 on the A66-595, 2 miles north of Whitehaven
and 12 miles south-west of Cockermouth
. Inhabited by nobles since the twelfth century, it one of only three Grade I listed buildings in Copeland and had been cited by English Heritage
as being one of the most important buildings in Cumbria.
The name derives from the original builder named Morisceby, Mawriceby or Moricebi as early as 1150, when the Rosmerta Cottage was built using a spiral stone staircase believed to be from an original stone pele tower that preceded the property. The adjacent church site nearby was once a Roman fort. The graveyard of the church contains many of the people who lived and died at Moresby Hall and the hamlet of Low Moresby.
The wealthy Moresby family owned the estate for centuries during medieval times and had contacts with English royalty. Christopher de Moresby fought in the Battle of Agincourt
and was knighted by King Henry, and Anne, his great grand-daughter, who was sole heiress of the estate saw her fiance Sir Francis Weston
executed by King Henry VIII
along with Queen Anne Boleyn
.
Later the Fletcher family owned Moresby Hall for a 250 year period and had links with Mary, Queen of Scots, during the 17th century. During this period is underwent some changes by architect Inigo Jones
around 1620 and later between 1670–1690, by either William Thackery or Edward Addison
.
During the eighteenth century, the house was owned by several owners after Thomas Fletcher died childless and it fell into disrepair, and was used as a farmhouse for some years. It was restored in 1910 and became a small manor house again until 1955.
Until the late 1990s it was owned by High Duty Alloys as a business venue. Then in August 1999, the property was bought by Jane and David Saxon, who turned it into a bed and breakfast hotel.
The hall is reportedly haunted by ghosts and has been subject to paranormal investigations by Most Haunted
. Many human skeletal remains have been found in the house including the chimney and under the floorboards.
Moresby Hall neighbors a church and graveyard dating back to the 1500s
Parton, Cumbria
Parton is a village and civil parish on the Cumbrian coast, overlooking the Solway Firth, 2km north of the town of Whitehaven. Formerly a port and a mining centre, it is now purely residential, benefiting from its location between the A595 trunk road and the Cumbrian Coast railway...
, Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
, overlooking the Cumbrian Fells. It is located south of Lowca
Lowca
Lowca is a village and civil parish in the English county of Cumbria. It was formerly a mining area but is now noted for its wind farm.In 1800, brothers Adam, Thomas and Crosby Heslop, formerly associated with the ironworks at Seaton near Workington established an iron foundry and engineering...
, off the A595 on the A66-595, 2 miles north of Whitehaven
Whitehaven
Whitehaven is a small town and port on the coast of Cumbria, England, which lies equidistant between the county's two largest settlements, Carlisle and Barrow-in-Furness, and is served by the Cumbrian Coast Line and the A595 road...
and 12 miles south-west of Cockermouth
Cockermouth
-History:The Romans created a fort at Derventio, now the adjoining village of Papcastle, to protect the river crossing, which had become located on a major route for troops heading towards Hadrian's Wall....
. Inhabited by nobles since the twelfth century, it one of only three Grade I listed buildings in Copeland and had been cited 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 being one of the most important buildings in Cumbria.
The name derives from the original builder named Morisceby, Mawriceby or Moricebi as early as 1150, when the Rosmerta Cottage was built using a spiral stone staircase believed to be from an original stone pele tower that preceded the property. The adjacent church site nearby was once a Roman fort. The graveyard of the church contains many of the people who lived and died at Moresby Hall and the hamlet of Low Moresby.
The wealthy Moresby family owned the estate for centuries during medieval times and had contacts with English royalty. Christopher de Moresby fought in the Battle of Agincourt
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
and was knighted by King Henry, and Anne, his great grand-daughter, who was sole heiress of the estate saw her fiance Sir Francis Weston
Francis Weston
Sir Francis Weston was a gentleman at the court of King Henry VIII of England. He became a friend of the king and gained a sad fame by being one of the men accused alongside Anne Boleyn...
executed by King Henry VIII
Henry VIII of England
Henry VIII was King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death. He was Lord, and later King, of Ireland, as well as continuing the nominal claim by the English monarchs to the Kingdom of France...
along with Queen Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn ;c.1501/1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of Henry VIII of England and Marquess of Pembroke in her own right. Henry's marriage to Anne, and her subsequent execution, made her a key figure in the political and religious upheaval that was the...
.
Later the Fletcher family owned Moresby Hall for a 250 year period and had links with Mary, Queen of Scots, during the 17th century. During this period is underwent some changes by architect Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones
Inigo Jones is the first significant British architect of the modern period, and the first to bring Italianate Renaissance architecture to England...
around 1620 and later between 1670–1690, by either William Thackery or Edward Addison
Edward Addison
Air Vice Marshal Edward Barker Addison CB, CBE, MA, CENG, FIEE was AOC 100 Group from 1943 to 1945. With a specialism in electrical engineering, Addison was tasked to head newly formed 100 Group of RAF Bomber Command in November 1943...
.
During the eighteenth century, the house was owned by several owners after Thomas Fletcher died childless and it fell into disrepair, and was used as a farmhouse for some years. It was restored in 1910 and became a small manor house again until 1955.
Until the late 1990s it was owned by High Duty Alloys as a business venue. Then in August 1999, the property was bought by Jane and David Saxon, who turned it into a bed and breakfast hotel.
The hall is reportedly haunted by ghosts and has been subject to paranormal investigations by Most Haunted
Most Haunted
Most Haunted is a British paranormal documentary reality television series. The series was first shown on 25 May 2002 and ended on 21 July 2010. It was broadcast on Living and presented by Yvette Fielding. The programme was based on investigating purported paranormal activity...
. Many human skeletal remains have been found in the house including the chimney and under the floorboards.
Moresby Hall neighbors a church and graveyard dating back to the 1500s