Sunday, June 08, 2008

Kirkoswald College, Kirkoswald

Kirkoswald College
Kirkoswald
Cumbria

The college is a rather spectacular collection of buildings in the village of Kirkoswald. It lays to the North of the moat near the church, and to the West of Kirkoswald Castle. The limited view of the buildings from the road, prevent a really detailed view of the buildings, but my guess, is that the thinly walled, late 15th century tower can be seen in the photograph below, on the right hand side. The tower would originally have been of four storeys, but with the flat roof rebuilt into a steepled roof, it lost a storey to become the three storeyed building we see today.

The tower was extended and rebuilt in 1523 for Thomas Lord Dacre, whos arms are visible above an external door. The tower is about 8 metres square, and is built of stone removed from Kirkoswald Castle. Further alterations were made to the tower and attached buildings between 1633 and 1641 for Sir Timothy Fetherstonhaugh, and it was probably this period of rebuilding that removed most traces of the original tower. The building can be seen from various vantage points around the village, but due to the high walls surrounding the site, it's difficult to see the buildings fully.

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