Wharton Hall in

Wharton, Cumbria Wharton is a civil parish near Kirkby Stephen in the Eden District of Cumbria, England, which, historically, was part of Westmorland. It has a population of 31. As the population taken at the 2011 Census remained less than 100 details are includ ...

, England, is a medieval fortified

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...

History

At the heart of Wharton Hall is a 15th-century hall, built from local

limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms whe ...

by the local Wharton, possibly Richard Wharton. During the

Pilgrimage of Grace The Pilgrimage of Grace was a popular revolt beginning in Yorkshire in October 1536, before spreading to other parts of Northern England including Cumberland, Northumberland, and north Lancashire, under the leadership of Robert Aske. The "most ...

in 1536 the manor was besieged by the forces of Robert Aske and after 1544

Lord Wharton Baron Wharton is a title in the Peerage of England, originally granted by letters patent to the heirs male of the Thomas Wharton, 1st Baron Wharton, 1st Baron, which was forfeited in 1729 when the last male-line heir was declared an outlaw. The B ...

extended and fortified the manor, building a gatehouse, great hall, kitchen, and surrounding walls in a medieval style. The result was a grand property, with the great hall being 68 feet long. Francis Knollys escorted

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legitimate child of James V of Scot ...

from

Lowther Castle Lowther Castle is a country house in the historic county of Westmorland, which now forms part of the modern county of Cumbria, England. It has belonged to the Lowther family, latterly the Earls of Lonsdale, since the Middle Ages. It is a fu ...

to Wharton on 14 July 1568, and the next day she went to

Bolton Castle Bolton Castle is a 14th-century castle located in Wensleydale, Yorkshire, England (). The nearby village of Castle Bolton takes its name from the castle. The castle is a Grade I listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The castle was da ...

. Her son,

King James I James VI and I (James Charles Stuart; 19 June 1566 – 27 March 1625) was King of Scotland as James VI from 24 July 1567 and King of England and Ireland as James I from the union of the Scottish and English crowns on 24 March 1603 until ...

stayed at Wharton on 8 August 1617, returning from his visit to Scotland. The Wharton family preferred to use Healaugh Priory near

Tadcaster Tadcaster is a market town and civil parish in the Selby district of North Yorkshire, England, east of the Great North Road, north-east of Leeds, and south-west of York. Its historical importance from Roman times onward was largely as the ...

North Yorkshire North Yorkshire is the largest ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county (lieutenancy area) in England, covering an area of . Around 40% of the county is covered by National parks of the United Kingdom, national parks, including most of ...

as their main residence after the 16th century, and the property fell into ruin. In 1785,

Lord Lonsdale Earl of Lonsdale is a title that has been created twice in British history, firstly in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1784 (becoming extinct in 1802), and then in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1807, both times for members of the Low ...

restored the building, adding more

battlements A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interva ...

. It was restored again in the 20th century to its current condition. This site is a

scheduled monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...

and

grade I listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

References

Bibliography

*Emery, Anthony. (1996)
Greater Medieval Houses of England and Wales, 1300-1500: Northern England.
' Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN, 978-0-521-49723-7. * Taylor, M. W. (1892) ''Old Manorial Halls of Westmorland and Cumberland.'' Kendal: T. Wilson. OCLC 22355479. Houses completed in the 15th century Country houses in Cumbria History of Cumbria Grade I listed buildings in Cumbria Eden District

History

See also

References

Bibliography