Old Cumbria Gazetteer

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	placename:-	Blencow Hall
	locality:-	Blencow
	parish	Greystoke parish, once in Cumberland
	county:-	Cumbria
		building/s
	coordinates:-	NY45063260
	10Km square:-	NY43
	1Km square	NY4532
		We don't usually comment on places, but we think this deserves a prize for imaginative architecture.
		So we werren't surpirsed to learn later that the project won the RCIS Award 2010 for building conservation.
		Blencow Hall -- Blencow -- Greystoke -- Cumbria / -- 8.10.2010
		Blencow Hall -- Blencow -- Greystoke -- Cumbria / -- 8.10.2010
	old text:-	Camden 1789 (Gough Additions)
		Britannia, or A Chorographical Description of the Flourishing Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by William Camden, 1586, translated from the 1607 Latin edition by Richard Gough, published London, 1789.
		Page 192:-
		...
		Below Greystock on the Peterel lies Geat Blencowe, belonging to an antient family of that name, whose ruined tower is still to be seen at Little Blencowe. ...
	person:-	: Blencowe Family
	date:-	1789
	period:-	18th century, late; 1780s
	descriptive text:-	Simpson 1746 -- possibly relevant
		The three volumes of maps and descriptive text published as 'The Agreeable Historian, or the Compleat English Traveller ...', by Samuel Simpson, 1746.
		goto source.
		... Blencow Magna, Mr. Blencow's. ...
	placename:-	Blencow Magna
	person:-	: Blencow, Mr
	date:-	1746
	period:-	18th century, early; 1740s
	database:-	Listed Buildings 2010 Listed Buildings 2010
		courtesy of English Heritage
		BLENCOW HALL FARMHOUSE AND GATEHOUSE WING / / / GREYSTOKE / EDEN / CUMBRIA / I / 73855 / NY4501832603
		courtesy of English Heritage
		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 2 metres; 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. See M.W. Taylor, Old Manorial Halls of Westmorland & Cumberland, 1892, pp.288-294.
	placename:-	Blencow Hall Farm
	district:-	Eden
		listed building
	coordinates:-	NY45013260
	date:-	2010
	period:-	2010s
	database:-	Listed Buildings 2010 Listed Buildings 2010
		courtesy of English Heritage
		CHAPEL, NOW BARN, NORTH WEST OF BLENCOW HALL FARMHOUSE / / / GREYSTOKE / EDEN / CUMBRIA / II / 73856 / NY4499832620
		courtesy of English Heritage
		Private chapel, now barn. Probably late C16 with C19 alterations. Pink sandstone rubble walls under graduated greenslate roof. Single storey, single bay. Entrance is now through the west open gable. Small side window openings and rebuilt 2-light pointed-arched east window. Part of the north wall extends beyond the present west gable to its original full extent, but has been reduced in height. W. Hutchinson's History of Cumberland, 1794, i, p.414, refers "over the door of this chapel are the arms of Blencowe cut in stone ....", which was in that part now demolished, but suggests that this was part of the 1590 rebuilding. Shown as complete but without roof on engravings of 1794 and 1822. Listed for group value with Blencow Hall Farmhouse.
	district:-	Eden
		listed building -- chapel; barn
	coordinates:-	NY44993262
	date:-	2010
	period:-	2010s
		photographs
		Blencow Hall -- Blencow -- Greystoke -- Cumbria / -- 8.10.2010
		Blencow Hall -- Blencow -- Greystoke -- Cumbria / -- 8.10.2010
		Blencow Hall -- Blencow -- Greystoke -- Cumbria / -- As it was in 2006. -- 4.2.2006
	hearsay	The north tower is probably a 16th century pele tower.
	Old Cumbria Gazetteer - JandMN: 2008

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