Graythwaite Hall
Encyclopedia
Graythwaite Hall, near Hawkshead
, Cumbria
in the Lake District
of England is the home of the Sandys family. The grounds are open to the public, but the Hall is not.
One of the more famous members of the family was Edwin Sandys
, who was Archbishop of York
(1576–88) and was founder of Hawkshead Grammar School
which William Wordsworth
attended. The hall dates from the 17th century and extension work was carried out in the 18th century. In 1840 some major refacing gave the hall the appearance of a Victorian
Gothic-style
Manor House
.
The grounds consist of 7 acres (28,328 m²) of gardens laid out by the landscape architect
Thomas Hayton Mawson
in 1886 and set in a wooded valley. The Dutch Garden and the Rose
Garden at Graythwaite are typical of the period. An arboretum
contains some fine trees. The gardens are best viewed in late spring when the rhododendrons and azaleas are in bloom. The ornamental iron gates at the entrance to the formal gardens were designed by Dan Gibson, a local architect, who also designed the house at the National Park Visitor Centre at Brockhole near Windermere
.
The woods surrounding the estate were a favourite walking spot for William Wordsworth
, and were the backdrop for Beatrix Potter
's story 'The Fairy Caravan
' .
Hawkshead
Hawkshead is a village and civil parish in the Cumbria, England. It is one of the main tourist honeypots in the South Lakeland area, and is dependent on the local tourist trade...
, Cumbria
Cumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
in the Lake District
Lake District
The Lake District, also commonly known as The Lakes or Lakeland, is a mountainous region in North West England. A popular holiday destination, it is famous not only for its lakes and its mountains but also for its associations with the early 19th century poetry and writings of William Wordsworth...
of England is the home of the Sandys family. The grounds are open to the public, but the Hall is not.
One of the more famous members of the family was Edwin Sandys
Edwin Sandys (archbishop)
Archbishop Edwin Sandys was an English prelate.He was Anglican Bishop of Worcester , London and Archbishop of York during the reign of Elizabeth I of England...
, who was Archbishop of York
Archbishop of York
The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. He is the diocesan bishop of the Diocese of York and metropolitan of the Province of York, which covers the northern portion of England as well as the Isle of Man...
(1576–88) and was founder of Hawkshead Grammar School
Hawkshead Grammar School
Hawkshead Grammar School in Hawkshead, Cumbria, England was founded in 1585 by Archbishop Edwin Sandys, of York, who petitioned a charter from Queen Elizabeth I to set up a governing body. The early School taught Latin, Greek and sciences, including arithmetic and geometry...
which William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads....
attended. The hall dates from the 17th century and extension work was carried out in the 18th century. In 1840 some major refacing gave the hall the appearance of a Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
Gothic-style
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
Manor House
Manor house
A manor house is a country house that historically formed the administrative centre of a manor, the lowest unit of territorial organisation in the feudal system in Europe. The term is applied to country houses that belonged to the gentry and other grand stately homes...
.
The grounds consist of 7 acres (28,328 m²) of gardens laid out by the landscape architect
Landscape architect
A landscape architect is a person involved in the planning, design and sometimes direction of a landscape, garden, or distinct space. The professional practice is known as landscape architecture....
Thomas Hayton Mawson
Thomas Hayton Mawson
Thomas Hayton Mawson , better known as T. H. Mawson, was a British garden designer, landscape architect, and town planner....
in 1886 and set in a wooded valley. The Dutch Garden and the Rose
Rose
A rose is a woody perennial of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that are often armed with sharp prickles. Flowers are large and showy, in colours ranging from white through yellows...
Garden at Graythwaite are typical of the period. An arboretum
Arboretum
An arboretum in a narrow sense is a collection of trees only. Related collections include a fruticetum , and a viticetum, a collection of vines. More commonly, today, an arboretum is a botanical garden containing living collections of woody plants intended at least partly for scientific study...
contains some fine trees. The gardens are best viewed in late spring when the rhododendrons and azaleas are in bloom. The ornamental iron gates at the entrance to the formal gardens were designed by Dan Gibson, a local architect, who also designed the house at the National Park Visitor Centre at Brockhole near Windermere
Windermere
Windermere is the largest natural lake of England. It is also a name used in a number of places, including:-Australia:* Lake Windermere , a reservoir, Australian Capital Territory * Lake Windermere...
.
The woods surrounding the estate were a favourite walking spot for William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth
William Wordsworth was a major English Romantic poet who, with Samuel Taylor Coleridge, helped to launch the Romantic Age in English literature with the 1798 joint publication Lyrical Ballads....
, and were the backdrop for Beatrix Potter
Beatrix Potter
Helen Beatrix Potter was an English author, illustrator, natural scientist and conservationist best known for her imaginative children’s books featuring animals such as those in The Tale of Peter Rabbit which celebrated the British landscape and country life.Born into a privileged Unitarian...
's story 'The Fairy Caravan
The Fairy Caravan
The Fairy Caravan is a book written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter. It was first published in 1929. The story follows the adventures of Tuppenny, a young guinea pig who runs away from home to join a travelling circus....
' .