Wray Castle, Cumbria, English Lake District

19thC Liverpool obstetrician and surgeon, Dr James Dawson, retired with his wife Margaret (nee Preston) to a cottage named Wray Cottage in 1836. Mrs Dawson had inherited a large quantity of money from her father who was a wine merchant in Liverpool. The Dawsons bought land surrounding the cottage. 

Mrs Dawson's family, The Preston family had backed the wrong side in the English Civil War , backing the English King Charles who was later beheaded when England became a republic. They had held lands locally and Mrs Dawson seems to have been happy to return to her family's part of the world.

The Great Storm of 1839 was a huge storm which hit Britain in January 1839, and caused severe   damage to property and several deaths.  It was the worst storm in Northern England for years.

Dr Dawson was away in Liverpool but his wife was at home in Wray Cottage and she and her servants tried to secure the house. Next morning though the cottage was badly damaged and while the property was repaired the Dawsons set about to move to something larger; they had a castle built in Gothic Revival style. 

The castle was designed by architects John Jackson Lightfoot and Henry Horner and took 7 years to complete. 

Over the next 10 years the Dawsons built a gate house lodge, a church and boat houses. They had a lovely estate by the lake. 

The Castle was given to National Trust in 1926 and has had a variety of uses but in 2014 started to open for visitors and day trippers. 

It is a fine house with some superb features and is a very good place to visit. It has 22 roofs! 

Even the traditional arrow slit windows ( above ) have been included in this not so ancient castle. Arrows of course weren't used for castle defence in 19thC!

This ceiling is painted over the plaster work. 

The house is being restored gradually and also researched. It is a work in progress. I loved this fireplace. The floor tiles in the entrance hall are beautiful but these fireplace tiles in the morning room are spectacular!

This is the view coming up towards it from the lake. 

This is a feature fireplace decorated for Fall/ Autumn. It is in the front entrance hall and it shows the beautiful Victorian hall floor tiles. 

These wood panels go up the staircase. They are in excellent condition. 

This castle was visited by Beatrix Potter the famous author when she was a girl and a visit to Beatrix Potter's Hilltop and also Wray Castle would be possible on the same day as they are close by. 

Do visit this lovely castle which while not a traditional British castle is well worth visiting.