Percy House Gallery, Cockermouth

Percy House (Nos 40, 42 & 46 Market Place) is one of the oldest buildings in Cockermouth and now hosts the Percy House Gallery. The principal first floor room has a Tudor plaster ceiling dated 1598, and the Percy coat of arms above the fire place. At that time house is believed to have been owned by Henry Percy, the 9th Earl of Northumberland, and used as the residence of the Percy family's agent in Cumberland. The building retains medieval featurs, including wooden panelling and an inglenook fire place. A study of tree rings in the roof timbers of the buildng, by English Heritage, indicate the building dates the the late 14th Century.[1] The house was later repurposed and 3 shop fronts were added in the mid 19th century and there have been other alteraltions over time. Percy House Gallery opened in May 2002. The building is a remarkable survival of a medieval town house, with notable plaster ceilings and other original features; it is Grade II* listed on the National Heritage List for England.