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Dalehead Hall, St John's Castlerigg etc
Dalehead Hall
locality:-   Dale Head
civil parish:-   St John's Castlerigg and Wythburn (formerly Cumberland)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   buildings
locality type:-   haunted house
locality type:-   park (?) 
coordinates:-   NY31371750
1Km square:-   NY3117
10Km square:-   NY31

photograph
BLQ11.jpg  The present building encases the old.
(taken 15.2.2006)  
evidence:-   old map:- OS County Series (Cmd 70 4) 
placename:-  Dalehead Hall
source data:-   Maps, County Series maps of Great Britain, scales 6 and 25 inches to 1 mile, published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton, Hampshire, from about 1863 to 1948.
evidence:-   old map:- Donald 1774 (Cmd) 
placename:-  Dale Head
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, 3x2 sheets, The County of Cumberland, scale about 1 inch to 1 mile, by Thomas Donald, engraved and published by Joseph Hodskinson, 29 Arundel Street, Strand, London, 1774.
image
D4NY31NW.jpg
"Dale Head / Mr. Leathes"
house 
item:-  Carlisle Library : Map 2
Image © Carlisle Library
evidence:-   old text:- Clarke 1787
placename:-  Dalehead
placename:-  Lyberthwaite Dalehead
source data:-   Guide book, A Survey of the Lakes of Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancashire, written and published by James Clarke, Penrith, Cumberland, and in London etc, 1787; published 1787-93.
image CL13P117, button  goto source
Page 117:-  "... The family of Leathes came from a place of the same name near Wigton in Cumberland, and their present mansion is at Dale-head, or Lyberthwaite-dale-head; they are a very ancient and respectable family, and the grand-father of the present representative was High Sheriff of the county of Cumberland."
"... The house stands pleasantly, and has a beautiful view of the lake; but in my opinion rather too high."
evidence:-   old map:- Clarke 1787 map (Ambleside to Keswick) 
placename:-  Laithes Hall
source data:-   Map, A Map of the Roads Lakes etc between Keswick and Ambleside, scale about 2.5 ins to 1 mile, by James Clarke, engraved by S J Neele, 352 Strand, published by James Clarke, Penrith, Cumberland and in London etc, 1787.
image
CL9NY31I.jpg
"Laithes Hall / T. Laithes Esqr."
item:-  private collection : 10.9
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   descriptive text:- Otley 1823 (5th edn 1834) 
source data:-   Guide book, A Concise Description of the English Lakes, the mountains in their vicinity, and the roads by which they may be visited, with remarks on the mineralogy and geology of the district, by Jonathan Otley, published by the author, Keswick, Cumberland now Cumbria, by J Richardson, London, and by Arthur Foster, Kirkby Lonsdale, Cumbria, 1823; published 1823-49, latterly as the Descriptive Guide to the English Lakes.
image OT01P111, button  goto source
Page 111:-  "... Dalehead Hall, the manorial seat of Mr. Leathes, on this side, is hid by a hill [from the road]. ..."
evidence:-   old map:- Garnett 1850s-60s H
placename:-  Dale Hall
source data:-   Map of the English Lakes, in Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, 1850s-60s.
image
GAR2NY31.jpg
"Dale Hall"
block, building 
item:-  JandMN : 82.1
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   database:- Listed Buildings 2010
placename:-  Dalehead Hall
source data:-  
courtesy of English Heritage
"DALEHEAD HALL / / / ST JOHNS CASTLERIGG AND WYTHBURN / ALLERDALE / CUMBRIA / II / 72189 / NY3137517500"
evidence:-   old print:- Harwood 1895
placename:-  Dale Head Hall
source data:-   Print, halftone photograph, Dale Head Hall, Thirlmere, Cumberland, published by Henry Blacklock and Co, Albert Square, Manchester, 1895.
image  click to enlarge
HRW308.jpg
Tipped in opposite p.56 of the History and Description of the Thirlmere Water Scheme, by Sir John James Harwood. 
item:-  Armitt Library : A660.10
Image © see bottom of page
hearsay:-  
 ...the old manor of Dalehead lies below on the water-side. It belonged to the Leathes Family from the days of Elizabeth I till Manchester Corporation bought them out; Thirlmere used to be known as Leatheswater.
ghost story:-  
 There is a ghost that haunts the high road above, the spirit of an inhabitant, who, returning home one night with a tempting sum of money in his pocket, was robbed and murdered, his naked body was found in the lake, with a deep gash on the forehead. An uncouth neighbour was suspected, but nothing could be proved and the only punishment was in the conscience of the guilty man and the ill will of his neighbours. The culprit ran from his neighbours and went to live in a cave in the hills, which still bears his name.
hearsaystory:-  
 ... Dalehead opposite was also a wierd place; sometimes a fire blazed out along the roadside, above the trees, throwing showers of sparks, and disappeared leaving
"nowder a black pleace nur a bit o' gurse swing't nur nea udder mark o' t' fire."
There was a murder here once, and wherever a murder has happened the countryfok plant a cutting from the ancient Yggdrasil of myth-lore, and it flourishes. Sir Hall Caine worked the legends and scenes of this dale into his novel, The Shadow of a Crime, ...
hearsay:-  
 Adam Leathes brought his wife to Dalehead Hall, 1577, claiming ownership of an estate of the pastures and woodland, as well as the lake. Manchester Corporation bought the hall and lake from the heirs of Thomas Stanger-Leathes, as part of their water supply scheme.
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