Blencow Hall

In the civil parish of Greystoke.
In the historic county of Cumberland (Modern Authority of Cumbria, 1974 county of Cumbria).

Fortified house with gatehouse wing. Probably late C15 with 1590 alterations and additions; further C20 alterations. Thick walls of large blocks of pink sandstone rubble, the towers with battlemented parapets and stone spouts. Hall and gatehouse wing have graduated greenslate roofs with banded red sandstone chimney stacks. 2-storey, 4-bay hall with flanking rectangular 3-storey, single-bay towers, the left tower extending to rear as a 2-storey, 5-bay gatehouse wing, forming overall H-shape. The front wall of the hall has been completely rebuilt, probably in 1590, being moved back about 2m; part of the original front wall remains as a buttress in return angle of left tower and the original roof line can be traced on this tower wall. 2-light stone-mullioned windows under hoodmoulds, the right windows blocked on ground floor, to accommodate a C19 porch, and partly blocked above. Right tower thought to be older, perhaps confirmed by angle turret containing newel staircase, common to the tower and the hall before its rebuilding. The turret shares front wall with the tower and has a stone-surround doorway and small irregular chamfered openings on 4 levels. The front wall continues beyond the turret as a buttress, perhaps added, since it cuts light to hall windows. Between this buttress and the present hall front, an upper-floor opening from the newel stair would have led into the hall. Front wall also has a small ground-floor casement window under a 4-light stone-mullioned window with hoodmould and large relieving arch; 2nd-floor similar 3-light window. Battlements partly removed in C20. Right return wall and rear of this tower have 2- and 3-light stone-mullioned windows, some partly blocked, all under hoodmoulds, one insertion inscribed M.H. 1918 (Howard); some label stops are carved heads, others are inscribed H.B. (Henry Blencow). Left return wall, at junction with the rear of the hall, has a squint window avoiding the hall. Left tower also has a turret, with shared front wall, but without a stair. Front wall rent from ground-floor window to hattlements, but battlements otherwise complete. The turret projects on left return wall, otherwise common with gatehouse wing, which has 2-light stone-mullioned windows, one with hoodmould stops inscribed H.B. and left segmental-arched passage. Thick rear hall wall has Tudor-arched doorway with lintel inscribed in Latin and HENRY BLENCOW 1590, under an armorial panel, initialled H.B. or R.B. Various stone-mullioned windows and smaller openings, with earlier blocked windows. Rear wall of gatehouse wing has Tudor-arched doorways, one initialled H.B. External stone steps to C18 loft doorway. Interior of hall has Tudor-arched stone doorways throughout. A large C16 stone-arched fireplace in the kitchen. The present C19 staircase has earlier timber-framed partitions. Fireplaces and doorways in the towers on various levels, but both are derelict without roofs and floors. Interior of gatehouse wing has a smaller C16 stone-arched fireplace.

This site has been described as a;
Pele Tower.
The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Certain.
Major remains.

The Ordnance Survey Map Grid Reference is NY45013260

Modern Map from Good for landscape form and features	Modern Map from Good for general location
Air Photo from	1st edition OS Map from

Sources of information, references and further reading

PastScape number; 11273

County Sites and Monuments Record number; 4993

• Web site links
  • http://www.visitcumbria.com/pele2.htm
• Books
  • Perriam, Denis and Robinson, John, 1998, The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria (CWAAS) p180
    Salter, Mike, 1998, The Castles and Tower Houses of Cumbria (Malvern) p21
    Pettifer, A., 1995, English Castles, A guide by counties (Woodbridge) p35
    King, D.J.C., 1983, Castellarium Anglicanum (London: Kraus) Vol1 p82
    Hugill, Robert, 1977, Castles and Peles of Cumberland and Westmorland (Newcastle; Frank Graham) p41-2
    Pevsner, N., 1967, The Buildings of England: Cumberland and Westmorland (Harmondsworth, Penguin) p134
    Curwen, J.F., 1913, Castles and Fortified Towers of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire North of the Sands (Kendal) p350-1
    Taylor, M.W., 1892, Old Manorial Halls of Westmorland and Cumberland (CWAAS extra series Vol8) p288-294
• Journal Articles
  • 1937, Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol7 p120-27
    Curwen, 1907, Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol7 p120-7
    1891, Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society Vol11 p73-80