![Brougham Hall - geograph](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Brougham_Hall_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1532.jpg)
Brougham Hall is located in the village of
Brougham
Brougham may refer to:
Transport
* Brougham (carriage), a light four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage
* Brougham (car body), an automobile with a similar style
Automobile models
* Cadillac Brougham, 1987–1992
* Chrysler New Yorker Brougham, c. 1 ...
just outside
Penrith,
Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local government, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumb ...
,
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
.
History
The de Burgham family may have held land at Brougham in
Edward the Confessor
Edward the Confessor ; la, Eduardus Confessor , ; ( 1003 – 5 January 1066) was one of the last Anglo-Saxon English kings. Usually considered the last king of the House of Wessex, he ruled from 1042 to 1066.
Edward was the son of Æth ...
's time and were allowed to keep their position after the
Norman Conquest of England
The Norman Conquest (or the Conquest) was the 11th-century invasion and occupation of England by an army made up of thousands of Normans, Norman, Duchy of Brittany, Breton, County of Flanders, Flemish, and Kingdom of France, French troops, ...
, which occurred after 1092 in this region : a Wilfred de Burgham was recorded in the reign of Henry II. The de Burghams retained land by military service to the
Vieuxpont
Vipont (''alias'' Vieuxpont) is the name of a prominent family in the history of Westmorland. According to Thomas
the name originated in France before 1066 as Vieuxpont ("Old Bridge"), Latinized to ''de Vetere Ponte'' ("from the Old Bridge"), ...
lords who lived at
Brougham Castle
Brougham Castle (pronounced ) is a medieval building about south-east of Penrith, Cumbria, England. The castle was founded by Robert I de Vieuxpont in the early 13th century. The site, near the confluence of the rivers Eamont and Lowther, h ...
close by.
The hall, usually sold in third parts, passed through the hands of various families in Medieval times.
Lady Anne Clifford, 14th Baroness de Clifford
Lady Anne Clifford, Countess of Dorset, Pembroke and Montgomery, ''suo jure'' 14th Baroness de Clifford (30 January 1590 – 22 March 1676) was an English peeress. In 1605 she inherited her father's ancient barony by writ and became ''suo jure'' ...
, the then owner of Brougham Castle, bought one third part of Brougham Hall in 1654. Amongst other improvements, she re-built the Hall's chapel, St. Wilfrid's, completed about 1659. Lady Anne's attorney-at law and later her steward, James Bird, bought her third of the Hall and manor after her death (1676), being the first person to hold the entirety of the building since the de Broughams. The male line of the Birds of Brougham family died out, however, and the then owner of the Hall and estate, Thomas Carleton, sold both to John Brougham of Scales in 1726. John Brougham belonged to a separate branch of the old de Brougham family, and was "the most successful member of the Brougham family in the 18th century", being a Commissioner in the
Excise
file:Lincoln Beer Stamp 1871.JPG, upright=1.2, 1871 U.S. Revenue stamp for 1/6 barrel of beer. Brewers would receive the stamp sheets, cut them into individual stamps, cancel them, and paste them over the Bunghole, bung of the beer barrel so when ...
service for England as well as a barrister and local squire.
The oldest part of the hall is the thirteenth-century gateway, followed by the
Tudor Hall, which dates back to around 1480–1520. The seventeenth-century guardhouse was built by James Bird. The Hall was close to the scene of a bloody battle between the
Jacobite army of
Prince Charles Edward Stuart
Charles Edward Louis John Sylvester Maria Casimir Stuart (20 December 1720 – 30 January 1788) was the elder son of James Francis Edward Stuart, grandson of James II and VII, and the Stuart claimant to the thrones of England, Scotland and ...
and Government forces (the
Clifton Moor Skirmish
The Clifton Moor Skirmish took place on the evening of Wednesday 18 December during the Jacobite rising of 1745. Following the decision to retreat from Derby on 6 December, the fast-moving Jacobite army split into three smaller columns; on the ...
), that took place in December 1745.
The rise to power of
Henry Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux
Henry Peter Brougham, 1st Baron Brougham and Vaux, (; 19 September 1778 – 7 May 1868) was a British statesman who became Lord High Chancellor and played a prominent role in passing the 1832 Reform Act and 1833 Slavery Abolition Act.
...
, led to the Hall being extended and enlarged between 1830 and 1847, to designs by the architect
Lewis Nockalls Cottingham
Lewis Nockalls Cottingham (1787 – 13 October 1847) was a British architect who pioneered the study of Medieval Gothic architecture. He was a restorer and conservator of existing buildings. He set up a Museum of Medieval Art in Waterloo Road, Lon ...
. The building works were largely overseen by Henry's brother,
William Brougham, 2nd Baron Brougham and Vaux
William Brougham, 2nd Baron Brougham and Vaux (26 September 1795 – 3 January 1886), known as William Brougham until 1868, was a British barrister and Whig politician.
Background and education
Brougham was the youngest son of Henry Brougham a ...
.
From this point on, Brougham Hall received visits from London " society" and other notable people, including royalty. This culminated in the visit, in 1905, of the King,
Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...
. However, after World War I, Brougham Hall, in common with many other country houses, faced a severe financial crisis. This was compounded by the spendthrift nature of
Victor Brougham, 4th Baron Brougham and Vaux
Victor Henry Peter Brougham, 4th Baron Brougham and Vaux (23 October 1909 – 20 June 1967), was a British peer and politician.
Background and family
Brougham's father, Henry Brougham, was the son and heir of the 3rd Baron Brougham and Vaux, bu ...
, and his failed attempts to shore up income by becoming a professional gambler. The hall was sold by Victor, 4th Baron Brougham, attempting to pay his many debts, in 1934, and was thereafter sold again for demolition.
From 1941 to 1945, there was a secret tank development facility at Brougham Hall. The project was known as
Canal Defence Light
The Canal Defence Light (CDL) was a British "secret weapon" of the Second World War, based upon the use of a powerful carbon-arc searchlight mounted on a tank. It was intended to be used during night-time attacks, when the light would allow enem ...
(CDL). A plaque at the Hall remembers the men who worked there during the war. There is also a bunker which was used during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.
After World War II, the Hall languished in a derelict state until it was purchased by Christopher Terry in 1967. Mr. Terry and his wife, Alison, determined to arrest the further decline of the Hall.
Today, the hall is the subject of a renovation project by volunteers and is open to visitors throughout the year.
Renovation project
/ref>
See also
*Grade II* listed buildings in Eden District
There are over 20,000 Grade II* listed buildings in England. This page is a list of these buildings in the district of Eden in Cumbria
Cumbria ( ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in North West England, bordering Scotland. Th ...
*Listed buildings in Brougham, Cumbria
Brougham is a civil parish in the Eden District, Cumbria, England. It contains 17 buildings that are recorded in the National Heritage List for England. Of these, one is listed at Grade I, the highest of the three grades, six are at Grade&nb ...
*Brougham Castle
Brougham Castle (pronounced ) is a medieval building about south-east of Penrith, Cumbria, England. The castle was founded by Robert I de Vieuxpont in the early 13th century. The site, near the confluence of the rivers Eamont and Lowther, h ...
– a nearby ruined castle
References
External links
Official site
All Things Brougham
Lake District Walks – Brougham Hall
{{coord, 54.6480, -2.7329, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title
Country houses in Cumbria
Historic house museums in Cumbria