Kentmere Hall

Description

Kentmere Hall (Plate 116), 580 yards W. of the church, is of two storeys; the walls are of rubble and the roofs are slate-covered. The ruined pele-tower at the W. end of the house dates from the 14th century; the house itself is perhaps of the end of the 14th or of the next century, but the hall is said to have been built by Hugh Herd, temp. Edward VI; this was perhaps a reconstruction of certain parts only, as the existing detail indicates an earlier date. In the 16th century the house belonged to the Gilpin family. The kitchen-wing on the N. of the hall is a modern addition.
The house is of interest as an example of a peletower and small manor-house.
The pele-tower was of four storeys with a barrel-vaulted ground storey and a modern pent roof within the building replacing the destroyed upper floors and original roof; at the N.W. angle is a garde-robe projection and in the N.E. angle a spiral staircase. The ground-storey has a loop-light in the S. wall and a former opening in the N. wall has been widened to form a doorway. The second storey has in the S. wall an original 14th-century window of two trefoiled ogee lights in a square head with a moulded label and a blank panel above it. There are square-headed openings or loops in the walls of the upper storeys. The tower retains part of its plain parapet brought forward on corbels. The hall-block adjoins the tower on the E. and has a screen-passage at the E. end; this is entered by a doorway, at the S. end, with chamfered jambs and two-centred head; farther W. are two blocked or partly-blocked windows, one retaining its stone jambs and square head with a moulded label. The back wall of the hall has a small blocked square-headed window and the doorway to the screens has a roughly arched head. The cross-wing retains no ancient features. The hall-block has a 17th-century roof with cambered tie-beams and collars.
Condition—Good, but tower ruined and ivy-grown. (RCHME 1936)

Tower House and attached farmhouse and barn with hayloft over shippon. Tower house C14; farmhouse probably late C14 or early C15 with later alterations and kitchen extension to rear; barn probably C18 alteration of earlier wing. Rubble walls, house rendered, graduated greenslate roofs; single ridge chimney stack to house. Tower has C20 flat roof replacing original pitched roof but was originally 4 storeys including vaulted ground floor. House 2 storeys. Tower has slit openings with flat heads; inserted medieval window in south wall of 2 trefoiled ogee lights in square head with moulded label and blank panel over. House has C20 windows and doors, one of which retains original stone surround; passage doorway has pointed head and continuous chamfered jamb; small window with stone mullions to rear. Interior of Tower has garderobe projection to North West corner; spiral staircase and blocked doorway (probably original entrance) in North East corner. (Listed Building Report)

Comments

Large solar tower of the Gilpin's manor. Approaching a tower house in scale but definitely of gentry, not baronial, status.