Editing Capernwray Hall

{{EngvarB|date=September 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2024}}
{{Infobox Historic Site | name = Capernwray Hall| native_name = | image = Capernwray Hall.jpg| image_size = 250| caption = Capernwray Hall| locmapin = United Kingdom City of Lancaster | map_width = | map_caption = Location in the City of Lancaster district | alt =
| coordinates = {{coord|54.1436|-2.6963|display=inline,title}}
| location = Near [[Carnforth]], [[Lancashire]], England| gbgridref = SD 546,722| area = | elevation = | formed = | founded = | built = 1805| built_for = Marton family| demolished = | rebuilt = | restored = 1844, 1875–76| restored_by = [[George Marton (1801–1867)|George Marton]]| architect = [[Edmund Sharpe]],<br />[[E. G. Paley]],<br>[[Paley and Austin]]| architecture = [[Gothic Revival architecture|Gothic Revival]]| visitation_num = | visitation_year = | governing_body = [[Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers]]| designation1 = Grade II*| designation1_offname = | designation1_type = | designation1_criteria = | designation1_date = 7 November 1983| delisted1_date = | designation1_parent = | designation1_number = 1071908| designation1_free1name = | designation1_free1value = | designation1_free2name = | designation1_free2value = | designation1_free3name = | designation1_free3value = | designation2 = | designation2_offname = | designation2_type = | designation2_criteria = | designation2_date = | delisted2_date = | designation2_parent = | designation2_number = | designation2_free1name = | designation2_free1value = | designation2_free2name = | designation2_free2value = | designation2_free3name = | designation2_free3value = }}

'''Capernwray Hall''' is a former [[English country house|country house]] situated 3 miles east-northeast of [[Carnforth]], [[Lancashire]], England, and is currently used as a Christian Bible school and holiday centre. The house is recorded in the [[National Heritage List for England]] as a designated Grade&nbsp;II* [[Listed building#England and Wales|listed building]].<ref name=nhl>{{NHLE |num= 1071908|desc= Capernwray Hall|access-date= 28 May 2012|mode=cs2}}</ref> It stands in grounds included in the [[Register of Historic Parks and Gardens]] at Grade&nbsp;II.<ref name=park>{{NHLE |num= 1000945|desc= Capernwray Hall Grounds|access-date= 28 May 2012|mode=cs2 |fewer-links=yes}}</ref>

==Early history==

The house originated in 1805 for the Marton family, and was named Keer Bank. By 1830 its name had been changed to Capernwray Hall. In 1840 the [[Lancaster, Lancashire|Lancaster]] architect [[Edmund Sharpe]] had designed a private chapel in the grounds of the hall, now known as [[Capernwray Chapel]]. In 1844 Sharpe remodelled the hall for [[George Marton (1801–1867)|George Marton]], retaining its rectangular core. He more than doubled the size of the house by adding a west wing containing dining and drawing rooms, a top-lit staircase, a tower, and [[Gothic architecture|Gothic]] style windows. The tower also acted as a water tower for the house. Later, in 1848, after Sharpe had been joined as a partner by [[E. G. Paley]], a stable and a service block were added to the east of the house.{{sfn|Hartwell|Pevsner|2009|pp=201–202|ps=}}{{sfn|Brandwood|Austin|Hughes|Price|2012|pp=38–39, 213|ps=}}  In 1875–76 a southeast block including a billiard room and a clock tower was added by the successors in the practice, [[Paley and Austin]].{{sfn|Hartwell|Pevsner|2009|pp=201–202|ps=}}{{sfn|Brandwood|Austin|Hughes|Price|2012|pp=131, 228|ps=}}

==Architecture==
===Exterior===
Capernwray Hall is constructed in [[sandstone]] with [[slate]] roofs. Its architectural style is [[Perpendicular Gothic|Perpendicular]], and the hall is largely [[embattled]]. It is mainly in two storeys. Its plan consists of a north entrance front, east and west wings, and a central range. Behind the north range is a four-storey tower, with a higher turret containing bell openings and a clock face. It is surmounted by a pyramidal roof. The north front has nine [[bay (architecture)|bays]]. The lateral two bays on each side project forward. In the centre is a porch with corner [[Turret (architecture)|turret]]s and an [[oriel window]] in the upper storey. The west front contains two two-storey [[bay window]]s containing Perpendicular [[tracery]]. The south front has a single-storey [[Cant (architecture)|canted]] bay window. To the east of the hall is the stable block. On the east side is a gatehouse with battlemented towers.<ref name=nhl/>

===Interior===
The staircase hall has an open timber roof, and contains a [[cantilever]]ed staircase and a first floor gallery.<ref name=nhl/>
{{sfnp|Hughes|2010|p=227|ps=}}  The dining and drawing rooms have [[molding (decorative)|moulded]] timber ceilings and contain [[marble]] fireplaces. The rooms are divided by an 18th-century wooden screen with [[Corinthian order|Corinthian]] [[pilaster]]s. columns and an [[entablature]]. It is said that the screen was moved from [[Lancaster Priory|St Mary's Church, Lancaster]].<ref name=nhl/>{{sfn|Hartwell|Pevsner|2009|pp=201–202|ps=}}

==Grounds==

The grounds consist of about 70 hectares of land sloping down to the [[River Keer]]. There are three driveway entrances, each of which has a lodge. To the southwest of the hall is a [[rose garden]], set out by [[Thomas Hayton Mawson|Thomas Mawson]] in 1901. To the northeast of the hall is a [[kitchen garden]]. The remainder of the grounds are used mainly as pasture.<ref name=park/>

==Later history==

During the Second World War the pupils from [[Ripley St Thomas Church of England Academy|Ripley St Thomas School]] in Lancaster were evacuated to the hall, and the grounds were used by the army for storing petrol.

On 11 September 1946, the whole of the Capernwray estate went under auction in [[Lancaster Town Hall]], Capernwray Hall being described as "...one medium-sized family residence". On instructions from her husband, [[Major W. Ian Thomas]] (who was away in Germany with the British Army), Mrs Joan Thomas attended the auction and finally won the bidding process.<ref>{{Citation| url = http://www.capernwray.org.uk/Capernwray.php?pid=43| title = A History of Capernwray Hall| access-date = 12 August 2011| publisher = Capernwray Hall| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110809210145/http://www.capernwray.org.uk/Capernwray.php?pid=43| archive-date = 9 August 2011| url-status = dead}}</ref> Capernwray Hall thus became the property of the Thomas family (subsequently through their shareholding in Capernwray Hall Ltd). Since 1947 the hall has seen continuous use as a Christian centre, originally under the direction of Major Thomas and later by the next generation of the Thomas family, running a Bible school (for approx 190 students) and residential-stay holidays.<ref>{{Citation | url = http://www.capernwray.org.uk/index.php| title = Welcome| access-date = 12 August 2011| publisher = Capernwray Hall}}</ref>

On 31 March 1999 the majority of the assets and business of Capernwray Hall Ltd were transferred by way of a gift from the Thomas' family into the newly registered charitable company, [[Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers|The Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers]].<ref>The Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers, Financial statements, approved 21 January 2000.</ref>

In 2019 the Platinum Jubilee Project started to renovate several main areas of the Hall in line with regulations from Historic England.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://capernwray.org/get-involved/platinum-jubilee-project/|title=Platinum Jubilee Project – Get involved|website=Capernwray|language=en-GB|access-date=27 July 2019}}</ref>

==See also==
{{portal|Lancashire}}
*[[Grade II* listed buildings in Lancashire]]
*[[Listed buildings in Over Kellet]]
*[[List of architectural works by Edmund Sharpe]]
*[[List of non-ecclesiastical works by E. G. Paley]]
*[[List of non-ecclesiastical works by Paley and Austin]]

==References==
'''Citations'''
{{Reflist|30em}}
'''Sources'''
{{refbegin}}
*{{Citation | last = Brandwood| first = Geoff| last2 = Austin| first2 = Tim| last3 = Hughes| first3 = John| last4 = Price| first4 = James| year = 2012| title = The Architecture of Sharpe, Paley and Austin| publication-place = Swindon| publisher = [[English Heritage]]|isbn = 978-1-84802-049-8}}
*{{Citation | last =Hartwell| first =Clare| last2 = Pevsner | first2 = Nikolaus | author2-link =Nikolaus Pevsner| series= The Buildings of England| title =Lancashire: North | publisher =[[Yale University Press]] | year =2009 | orig-year=1969 | location = New Haven and London|  isbn = 978-0-300-12667-9}}
*{{Citation | last = Hughes| first = John M.| year = 2010| title = Edmund Sharpe: Man of Lancaster| publisher = John M. Hughes|  page = 227| type = CD}}
{{refend}}

==External links==
* [http://www.capernwray.org/ Capernwray Missionary Fellowship of Torchbearers' website]

{{City of Lancaster buildings}}

[[Category:Grade II* listed buildings in Lancashire]]
[[Category:Grade II* listed houses]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in the City of Lancaster]]
[[Category:Country houses in Lancashire]]
[[Category:Edmund Sharpe buildings]]
[[Category:E. G. Paley buildings]]
[[Category:Religion in Lancashire]]
[[Category:Grade II listed parks and gardens in Lancashire]]
[[Category:Gothic Revival architecture in Lancashire]]
[[Category:1805 establishments in England]]