It was time to leave the Lake District and England, but before crossing the borders to Scotland I just had to do two more stops. Just a short drive from Pooley Bridge lies the Lowther Castle.
The roots of Lowther Castle go back to the 14th century, when Edward III granted Sir Hugh de Lowther a charter to enclose a 200 acre tract of land for a deer park beside the River Lowther. Sir Hugh built a motte and bailey fortification beside the river, but later in the 14th century this was replaced by a pele tower to better defend against Scottish raides from north of the border. (Britainexpress)
In 1691 the medieval building was torn down and replaced with a Jacobean residence which was mostly destroyed by a fire in 1718 and remained mostly a ruin until 1806 when architect Robert Smirke created an impressive new house in the style of a medieval castle, incorporating the ruined house. Smirke later designed the British Museum in London.
The house was closed in 1936 and became an empty shell when the roof was removed in 1957 and it took about 70 years until a charitable trust started a huge restoration and the castle was opened for the public in 2011.
The castle itself looks like out of a fairytale and it´s a shame that I didn´t have more time to explore the gardens they must be stunning.
