The Lake District is well known for its stunning natural landscape, but less so for its historic designed gardens. This multi-million pound project aims to open to the public for the first time in 70 years the abandoned gardens and ruined castle at Lowther, near Penrith in the Lake District National Park. The castle is a fairy-tale sleeping beauty with a unique garden waiting to be awakened.
The 130 acre, Grade II* listed site sits on a limestone escarpment with the remnants of at least three significant buildings and much of its 17th century garden remains intact. The Castle and its Gardens have been closed for 70 years and currently stand inaccessible and buried in vegetation.
LUC’s focus is on understanding and presenting the unique surviving 17th century gardens. We began work by assessing ground evidence and then looking at the extensive archives to form a complete picture. The grounds were once opened to visitors, but after being used to test a secret tank weapon during the Second World War the place was deliberately dismantled and abandoned and much of the garden was concreted over.
The restoration will remove Lowther Castle from English Heritage's 'Buildings at Risk' Register, transforming it into a safe but enchanting ruin. An almanac of 500 years of garden history will be uncovered in the vast hidden gardens. It has been a revelation to find such an extensive survival of a very early garden and we are very excited to be involved in its restoration.
To see LUC Principal Dominic Cole's TV interview on the project click here
For more information about the Lowther Castle and Gardens restoration project click here.
