Wray Castle
WRAY CASTLE, AMBLESIDE, LA22 0JA
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1106324
- Date first listed:
- 25-Mar-1970
- List Entry Name:
- Wray Castle
- Statutory Address:
- WRAY CASTLE, AMBLESIDE, LA22 0JA
Location
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Images of England Project
- Date:
- 2006-07-13
- Reference:
- IOE01/15760/12
- Rights:
- © Mr Adrian Allchin. Source: Historic England Archive
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II*
- List Entry Number:
- 1106324
- Date first listed:
- 25-Mar-1970
- List Entry Name:
- Wray Castle
- Statutory Address 1:
- WRAY CASTLE, AMBLESIDE, LA22 0JA
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- WRAY CASTLE, AMBLESIDE, LA22 0JA
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Westmorland and Furness (Unitary Authority)
- Parish:
- Claife
- National Park:
- Lake District
- National Grid Reference:
- NY 37497 01014
Details
This List entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 31/01/2017
NY 30 SE,
3/11
CLAIFE,
WRAY,
Wray Castle
(Formerly listed as: R.M.S. Wray Castle)
25.03.70
GV
II*
House, former college of marine electronics. 1840-47. Possibly by. H. P. Horner or
J. Lightfoot. Dressed slate with ashlar dressings. Rectangular plan with porte
cochere to entrance facade and service wing to south; tall central tower and
angle towers. Battered base with frieze and sill course and corbelled and coped
parapets. Entrance facade has octagonal tower to left, square tower with
octagonal bartizan to right; porte cochere has octagonal turrets, all with
embattled parapets. Towers and turrets have arrow slits, most have iron
dressings. Windows have double-chamfered openings and label moulds; porte
cochere has 3-light double-chamfered-mullioned window. Ground floor window to
left has 2-light traceried casement. Porte cochere has triple-chamfered
segmented-pointed arches to front and returns. Recessed panels with armorial
bearings to returns of porte cochere; corbelled-out panels with arrow slits to
1st floor flanking porte cochere and to left of tower. Embattled parapet above
and to rear of porte cochere. Entrance has 1/2 glazed doors and pointed arched
fanlight. Central tower has embattled parapet with canted turret to right
return. Left return of 5 bays, the 4th and 5th bays wider and breaking forward
with octagonal bartizan; octagonal angle towers. Some windows have original
traceried casements; 4th bay has canted bay window with 2-light traceried
casements and panels beneath; 5th bay has bay with tripartite mullioned window,
traceried casements and return lights. 1st floor windows to 4th and 5th bays of
3 lights, one now with later casement; parapet above has projecting embattled
section. Right return has canted bay window with 3-light traceried casement
window above and projecting bay to right with embattled parapet. Service wing
projects to right; embattled parapet corbelled to angle with 2-face clock. End
square tower with low wings which have embattled turrets. Rear has projecting
service wing to left with square angle towers; right irregular facade of
3 storeys to left; pointed entrance with label mould and canted oriel with
2-light traceried window above.
INTERIOR has octagonal entrance hall with 1st
floor gallery. Main hall has encaustic tiles, panelling and segmental pointed
heads to doors; 1st floor gallery and imperial stair leading to landing with
high hammer-beam roof, canted corbelled angles, niches, plaster panelled frieze,
and 2-light transomed windows. Many rooms with elaborate ceilings, former
drawing room has linenfold panelling. Beatrix Potter stayed here, 1882.
Property of the National Trust.
Listing NGR: NY3749701014
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
- Legacy System number:
- 76756
- Legacy System:
- LBS
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 10-Jun-2026 at 09:09:28.
Download a full scale map (PDF)End of official list entry
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