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Brathay Hall, Brathay
Brathay Hall
Brathay Park
locality:-   Brathay
civil parish:-   Skelwith (formerly Lancashire)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   buildings
locality type:-   park
coordinates:-   NY36660312
1Km square:-   NY3603
10Km square:-   NY30

photograph
BPD27.jpg (taken 12.5.2008)  
photograph
BPD26.jpg  Boat houses.
(taken 12.5.2008)  
evidence:-   old map:- OS County Series (Lan 2 6) 
placename:-  Brathay 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:-   probably descriptive text:- West 1778 (11th edn 1821) 
source data:-   Guide book, A Guide to the Lakes, by Thomas West, published by William Pennington, Kendal, Cumbria once Westmorland, and in London, 1778 to 1821.
image WS21P071, button  goto source
Page 71, footnote:-  "On the banks of Windermere-water, have been lately built many elegant villas; by Mr. Law, at Brathay; ... These objects, as works of art, most of which are done in styles suitable to their situation, give an air of consequence to the country, ..."
evidence:-   old text:- Clarke 1787
placename:-  Brathay
item:-  garden
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 CL13P145, button  goto source
Page 145:-  "..."
"... Brathay, the seat of George Law, Esq; a delightful place, situated at the high-end of a meadow almost as smooth as a bowling-green, with the river half-surrounding it; and adjoining to it is a vast quantity of wood, growing upon uneven rocky ground. The house is a modern building, and the gardens laid out in rural taste; the present owner lately purchased the estate from the trustees of the late Gawen Brathwaite, Esq; for a summer seat, so that the repairs and improvements were but in their infancy when I visited it. ..."
evidence:-   perhaps old text:- Green 1810
placename:-  Brathay House
source data:-   Set of prints, soft ground etchings, Sixty Studies from Nature, by William Green, Ambleside, Westmorland, drawn 1808-10, published 1810.
image GN14p012, button  goto source
page 12:-  "..."
"Brathay house and Old Brathay, the property of Henry Law, Esq. the former the residence of John Harden, Esq. and the latter of Charles Lloyd, Esq. are in Lancashire, and compose a part of the Langdale picture [from the lake] ..."
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 OT01P004, button  goto source
Page 4:-  "... The Villa of Brathay, and that of Mr. Brancker, at Croft-Lodge, are conspicuous objects near the head of the water. ..."
evidence:-   old map:- Ford 1839 map
placename:-  Brathay Hall
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, Map of the Lake District of Cumberland, Westmoreland and Lancashire, scale about 3.5 miles to 1 inch, published by Charles Thurnam, Carlisle, and by R Groombridge, 5 Paternoster Row, London, 3rd edn 1843.
image
FD02NY30.jpg
"Brathay Hall"
item:-  JandMN : 100.1
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Garnett 1850s-60s H
placename:-  Brathay 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
GAR2NY30.jpg
"Brathay Ha."
block, building 
item:-  JandMN : 82.1
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old text:- Martineau 1855
source data:-   Guide book, A Complete Guide to the English Lakes, by Harriet Martineau, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, and by Whittaker and Co, London, 1855; published 1855-76.
image MNU1P019, button  goto source
Page 19:-  "... the sweet, tranquil Brathay valley ... with Mr. Redmayne's mansion of Brathay Hall, on a green slope above the lake; ..."
evidence:-   old map:- Prior 1874 map 1
placename:-  Brathay Hall
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving or lithograph? Winander Mere, scale about 2.5 miles to 1 inch, published by John Garnett, Windermere, Westmorland, 1874.
image  click to enlarge
PI03M1.jpg
"Brathay Hall"
block/s; building/s 
item:-  private collection : 133.1
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   database:- Listed Buildings 2010
placename:-  Brathay Hall
source data:-  
courtesy of English Heritage
"BRATHAY HALL / / B 5286 / SKELWITH / SOUTH LAKELAND / CUMBRIA / II / 76887 / NY3665703108"
source data:-  
courtesy of English Heritage
"House, now outward bound school. Late C18. Ashlar with plastered returns and rear; hipped slate roofs. Centre of 3 storeys and 5 bays has wings of one storey with attic and 3 bays. Band over ground floor and 1st floor sill band, top cornice; wings have top cornice and blocking course. Windows are sashed, with glazing bars and margin lights, wing to right has French windows flanking a blind window, both wings have small attic lights under cornice. Entrance has glazed doorcase with 4-fielded-panel door; bowed porch has 4 unfluted Doric columns with leaf capitals, frieze, cornice and blocking course. Right return of 3 bays, the central bay recessed, the flanking bays with tripartite windows and segmental tympana. Left return has later extensions of no special interest. Rear has central bowed bay with tripartite stair window; projecting wings. Gable end stacks to wings and return lateral stacks to centre. Interior has open-well flying stair with stick balusters, some remaining cornices and fireplaces; Founder's room has plaster panelling dado rail and cornice with vases, swags etc. Fireplace with columns and cast iron grate; angle pilasters to window."
hearsay:-  
 John Harden, artist and diarist, lived here from 1805. His visitors included Thomas de Quincey, Dr Arnold, and William Constable. William Constable might have been staying here when he painted the Langdale Pikes with a non-existent lake in front.
Later it was sold to Giles Redmayne who built Holy Trinity Church. He had made a fortune in the ltalian silk trade, the stase for which is reflected in the style of the church.
hearsay:-  
 The hall is now a training centre, 2008.
personal
person:-   artist; diarist
 : Harden, John
place:-   home
date:-   1805
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