Sleddale Hall
Encyclopedia
Sleddale Hall is a historic farmhouse on the north side of the Wet Sleddale valley near Shap
in Cumbria
, England
. It is famous for featuring as "Crow Crag", Uncle Monty's Lake District
country cottage in the cult film Withnail and I
.
, and impressive cultivation terraces
belonging to the Abbey's grange in the valley lie immediately to the north-east of Sleddale Hall. These terraces are especially clear on Google Earth. It is believed that Sleddale Hall was the home of William Rawes, Yeoman of Sleddale sometime between 1740 and 1758.
An 1802 description of Sleddale Hall and its surrounding farmland reads "Sleddale Hall is situated a few miles south westwards from Shap in a narrow valley among the mountains. We could find nothing to give us any information as to the quality of land in this farm. There is a considerable extent enclosed on each side of the vale which is at present singularly divided in to different fields. This we calculated to be about 250 acres (1 km²), consisting partly of woodland, partly of poorish meadow ground, and partly of pasture, all of which, or nearly all, lies in rapid declivities. Besides the above inclosed ground
, there may be about 2300 acres (9.3 km²) of barren mountains, forming altogether a tolerably good sheep farm. The meadow ground is mostly capable of improvement by draining, & that at a reasonable expense. This farm, every thing considered we suppose may be worth a rent of £150. But as observed before, our means of calculating the value were very defective."
In 1829 Sleddale Hall was recorded as: "Sleddale Hall, now a farm-house belonging to C. Wilson, Esq., was long the seat of the ancient family of Sleddale, one of whom was the first Mayor of Kendal, and possessed Gillthwaite-Rigg, and some other estates."
The Wet Sleddale Reservoir
was built below the Hall some time in the 1960s to provide water for Manchester, flooding a small part of the dale.
By the time of the filming of Withnail and I in 1986, Sleddale Hall was derelict and in a state of considerable disrepair.
, who played Withnail, recorded his first impressions of the farmhouse in his published diary:
Filming took place both in the downstairs rooms of the house and in the exterior areas, including the small courtyard. The interior shots of the bedrooms and staircase were not filmed at Sleddale Hall, but at Stockers Farm, Rickmansworth
, Hertfordshire.
, formerly North West Water
. Following its appearance in Withnail and I, North West Water had planned to renovate the Hall and convert it into a holiday cottage
and workshop. However, planning permission
was refused on the grounds that it would alter the character of the valley. In 1998 the Hall was placed on the market, but did not sell.
In 2004 a Daily Mail
reporter wrote that the house was in danger of demolition and United Utilities was, according to local people, 'open to offers', but wanted planning permission granted by the Lake District National Park Authority in order to gain maximum profit from the building. A United Utilities spokesperson commented: "We continue to explore all options open to us for the future of Sleddale Hall". Locals also stated that United Utilities did not want to sell Sleddale Hall to Withnail fans, due to worries that thousands of visitors would spoil the beauty spot. In 2006 the Hall was re-roofed.
Sleddale Hall is tenanted by a farmer, Mike Harrison, whose suckler herd which produces Blonde d'Aquitaine
crossbred calves won the 2008 British Blonde Society’s biannual UK Commercial Herd of the Year Award. A judge said that the award was notable "considering the type of hard farm he is rearing them on": at Sleddale Hall the cows graze at between 980 ft (298.7 m) to 1450 ft (442 m) above sea level, on rough grazing. The house itself was still dilapidated and uninhabited as of September 2008.
In January 2009 it was announced that Sleddale Hall had been put up for auction by United Utilities. The auction took place on 16 February 2009, with a guide price of over £145,000. A trust named 'The Crow Crag Collective' was set up on the 22nd of January to try to buy the house at auction and preserve it for the fans of Withnail and I. The house originally sold at auction on 16 February 2009 for £265,000. The prospective purchaser was Sebastian Hindley, owner of the Mardale Inn in Bampton
, a nearby village which also featured in the film. Hindley spoke of his purchase: "It's part of our heritage ... I'm very passionate about this area. I would like to transform it back to how it was in the film. It could be a working museum, with self-catering accommodation and maybe a tea room." The house does not currently have planning permission.
However, in May 2009 the sale of Sleddale Hall fell through and Sebastian Hindley is reported to have said that funding problems meant he had missed his deadline. United Utilities "considered its options", and when finances from the original buyer Hindley did not materialise, he was given more time by United Utilities but could not raise the cash.
United Utilities then sold Sleddale Hall to Tim Ellis, an architect from Canterbury in Kent, whose bid at the auction had originally failed. He plans to convert Sleddale Hall into a private home, retaining a “Withnail atmosphere”. Ellis specialises in the restoration of historic buildings and said "I am delighted to have had a second chance to buy this beautiful building. I first saw the film about seven years ago and have been a fan ever since. I would like to restore the building in a way that other fans of the film could approve of.
A Certificate of Lawful Use was granted by the Lake District National Park Authority in March 2011. The Certificate confirms the residential status of Sleddale Hall in Planning Law. Building works to restore Sleddale Hall commenced in August 2011 and are due to be completed around August 2012
Sleddale Hall is private property with no public right of way, but since the film came out has frequently been visited by fans of the film. An article in The Guardian
in 2003 commented on the amount of rubbish (specifically beer cans) left behind at the Hall by the fans. Access to the interior of the house can be arranged by contacting the owner, whose email address can be found on a notice at Sleddale Hall or the Withnail & I Forum.
Shap
Shap is a linear village and civil parish located amongst fells and isolated dales in Eden district, Cumbria, England. The village lies along the A6 road and the West Coast Main Line, and is near to the M6 motorway...
in 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...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is famous for featuring as "Crow Crag", Uncle Monty's Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
country cottage in the cult film Withnail and I
Withnail and I
Withnail and I is a British black comedy made in 1986 by HandMade Films. It was written and directed by Bruce Robinson and is based on his life in London in the late 1960s. The main plot follows two unemployed young actors, Withnail and “I” who live in a squalid flat in Camden in 1969 while...
.
House and farm
Not much is known of the early history of Sleddale Hall. In the medieval period large parts of Wet Sleddale were owned by Shap AbbeyShap Abbey
Shap Abbey was a monastic religious house of the Premonstratensian order on the western bank of the River Lowther in the civil parish of Shap Rural, around from the village of Shap, in the Eden District of Cumbria, England...
, and impressive cultivation terraces
Terrace (agriculture)
Terraces are used in farming to cultivate sloped land. Graduated terrace steps are commonly used to farm on hilly or mountainous terrain. Terraced fields decrease erosion and surface runoff, and are effective for growing crops requiring much water, such as rice...
belonging to the Abbey's grange in the valley lie immediately to the north-east of Sleddale Hall. These terraces are especially clear on Google Earth. It is believed that Sleddale Hall was the home of William Rawes, Yeoman of Sleddale sometime between 1740 and 1758.
An 1802 description of Sleddale Hall and its surrounding farmland reads "Sleddale Hall is situated a few miles south westwards from Shap in a narrow valley among the mountains. We could find nothing to give us any information as to the quality of land in this farm. There is a considerable extent enclosed on each side of the vale which is at present singularly divided in to different fields. This we calculated to be about 250 acres (1 km²), consisting partly of woodland, partly of poorish meadow ground, and partly of pasture, all of which, or nearly all, lies in rapid declivities. Besides the above inclosed ground
Enclosure
Enclosure or inclosure is the process which ends traditional rights such as mowing meadows for hay, or grazing livestock on common land. Once enclosed, these uses of the land become restricted to the owner, and it ceases to be common land. In England and Wales the term is also used for the...
, there may be about 2300 acres (9.3 km²) of barren mountains, forming altogether a tolerably good sheep farm. The meadow ground is mostly capable of improvement by draining, & that at a reasonable expense. This farm, every thing considered we suppose may be worth a rent of £150. But as observed before, our means of calculating the value were very defective."
In 1829 Sleddale Hall was recorded as: "Sleddale Hall, now a farm-house belonging to C. Wilson, Esq., was long the seat of the ancient family of Sleddale, one of whom was the first Mayor of Kendal, and possessed Gillthwaite-Rigg, and some other estates."
The Wet Sleddale Reservoir
Wet Sleddale Reservoir
Wet Sleddale Reservoir is an artificial reservoir set amongst the Shap Fells south of the village of Shap in Cumbria, England and lies just within the boundary of the Lake District National Park. The triangular shaped reservoir, which can store 2,300 million litres of water, was created by the...
was built below the Hall some time in the 1960s to provide water for Manchester, flooding a small part of the dale.
By the time of the filming of Withnail and I in 1986, Sleddale Hall was derelict and in a state of considerable disrepair.
Filming of Withnail and I
Sleddale Hall stood in as "Crow Crag", the Lake District cottage owned by Uncle Monty in the film Withnail and I. The scenes at Sleddale Hall were filmed in August 1986. Actor Richard E. GrantRichard E. Grant
Richard E. Grant is a Swaziland-born British actor, screenwriter and director. His most notable role came in the film Withnail and I. He holds dual British and Swazi citizenship.-Early life:...
, who played Withnail, recorded his first impressions of the farmhouse in his published diary:
2nd August. Mini-bus together out to the location in Wet Sleddale, supposedly the wettest corner of the United Kingdom, through numerous gates, up a mountainside to an abandoned cottage on the water board estate. Perfect. Looks exactly like the script suggests.
Filming took place both in the downstairs rooms of the house and in the exterior areas, including the small courtyard. The interior shots of the bedrooms and staircase were not filmed at Sleddale Hall, but at Stockers Farm, Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth
Rickmansworth is a town in the Three Rivers district of Hertfordshire, England, 4¼ miles west of Watford.The town has a population of around 15,000 people and lies on the Grand Union Canal and the River Colne, at the northern end of the Colne Valley regional park.Rickmansworth is a small town in...
, Hertfordshire.
Sleddale Hall in recent years
Sleddale Hall was owned by United UtilitiesUnited Utilities
United Utilities Group PLC is the UK's largest listed water business. The Group owns and manages the regulated water and waste water network in the north west England, through it subsidiary United Utilities Water PLC , which is responsible for the vast majority of the group's assets and...
, formerly North West Water
North West Water
North West Water was a water supply company serving north west England. It was originally the North West Water Authority, one of ten regional authorities created by the Water Act 1973. In 1989 it became North West Water plc, and was privatised...
. Following its appearance in Withnail and I, North West Water had planned to renovate the Hall and convert it into a holiday cottage
Holiday cottage
A holiday cottage is a cottage used for accommodation, which has become common in the United Kingdom and Canada. They are typically small homes that vacationers can rent and run as if it were their own home for the duration of their stay. This gives them the freedom to eat in, eat out, stay in bed...
and workshop. However, planning permission
Planning permission
Planning permission or planning consent is the permission required in the United Kingdom in order to be allowed to build on land, or change the use of land or buildings. Within the UK the occupier of any land or building will need title to that land or building , but will also need "planning...
was refused on the grounds that it would alter the character of the valley. In 1998 the Hall was placed on the market, but did not sell.
In 2004 a Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
reporter wrote that the house was in danger of demolition and United Utilities was, according to local people, 'open to offers', but wanted planning permission granted by the Lake District National Park Authority in order to gain maximum profit from the building. A United Utilities spokesperson commented: "We continue to explore all options open to us for the future of Sleddale Hall". Locals also stated that United Utilities did not want to sell Sleddale Hall to Withnail fans, due to worries that thousands of visitors would spoil the beauty spot. In 2006 the Hall was re-roofed.
Sleddale Hall is tenanted by a farmer, Mike Harrison, whose suckler herd which produces Blonde d'Aquitaine
Blonde d'Aquitaine
Blonde d'Aquitaine is a breed of beef cattle originating from the Aquitaine district in south west of France embracing the area of the Garonne valley and the Pyrenees. The breed is a combination of three local strains, the Garonnais, the Quercy, and the Blonde des Pyrenees. Blondes were...
crossbred calves won the 2008 British Blonde Society’s biannual UK Commercial Herd of the Year Award. A judge said that the award was notable "considering the type of hard farm he is rearing them on": at Sleddale Hall the cows graze at between 980 ft (298.7 m) to 1450 ft (442 m) above sea level, on rough grazing. The house itself was still dilapidated and uninhabited as of September 2008.
In January 2009 it was announced that Sleddale Hall had been put up for auction by United Utilities. The auction took place on 16 February 2009, with a guide price of over £145,000. A trust named 'The Crow Crag Collective' was set up on the 22nd of January to try to buy the house at auction and preserve it for the fans of Withnail and I. The house originally sold at auction on 16 February 2009 for £265,000. The prospective purchaser was Sebastian Hindley, owner of the Mardale Inn in Bampton
Bampton, Cumbria
Bampton is a village and civil parish in the Eden District of Cumbria, England, on the edge of the Lake District National Park. The parish had a population of 283 according to the 2001 census...
, a nearby village which also featured in the film. Hindley spoke of his purchase: "It's part of our heritage ... I'm very passionate about this area. I would like to transform it back to how it was in the film. It could be a working museum, with self-catering accommodation and maybe a tea room." The house does not currently have planning permission.
However, in May 2009 the sale of Sleddale Hall fell through and Sebastian Hindley is reported to have said that funding problems meant he had missed his deadline. United Utilities "considered its options", and when finances from the original buyer Hindley did not materialise, he was given more time by United Utilities but could not raise the cash.
United Utilities then sold Sleddale Hall to Tim Ellis, an architect from Canterbury in Kent, whose bid at the auction had originally failed. He plans to convert Sleddale Hall into a private home, retaining a “Withnail atmosphere”. Ellis specialises in the restoration of historic buildings and said "I am delighted to have had a second chance to buy this beautiful building. I first saw the film about seven years ago and have been a fan ever since. I would like to restore the building in a way that other fans of the film could approve of.
A Certificate of Lawful Use was granted by the Lake District National Park Authority in March 2011. The Certificate confirms the residential status of Sleddale Hall in Planning Law. Building works to restore Sleddale Hall commenced in August 2011 and are due to be completed around August 2012
Sleddale Hall is private property with no public right of way, but since the film came out has frequently been visited by fans of the film. An article in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
in 2003 commented on the amount of rubbish (specifically beer cans) left behind at the Hall by the fans. Access to the interior of the house can be arranged by contacting the owner, whose email address can be found on a notice at Sleddale Hall or the Withnail & I Forum.
External links
- 2003 Guardian article on Sleddale Hall
- Feature on Sleddale Hall
- A visit to Uncle Monty's holiday cottage Jan 2009
- BBC photos of Sleddale Hall
- Wet Sleddale Reservoir - Sleddale Hall is visible in the photographs
- Photoset on Flickr showing interior as of 2004
- Flickr Withnail and I group, many photos of the Hall
- Trust website set up to purchase Sleddale Hall at the 16th February 2009
- Photographs of Sleddale Hall in the 1950s