Battlements of Lowther Castle
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Description
"This is no great medieval fortress, but a rich man's flight of fancy built in the early years of the 19thC. The main building, designed by Robert Smirke for William Lowther, 1st Earl of Lonsdale has been an empty shell since the 1950's when the roof and internal structure were all removed to avoid taxes which the family could no longer afford. The castle was abandoned by the profligate 5th Earl in 1935/6 as he could no longer afford the upkeep. Requisitioned by the government in WW2 it was a base for tank units and suffered further neglect and damage, such that the family could not afford to move back after the war. [This seems to be a familiar story with great English houses in the post war period] James Lowther, who inherited the estate in the 1950's described it as "a place that exemplified gross imperial decadence during a period of abject poverty". Now open as a popular visitor attraction." Photo by Gordon Hatton, 2018. -
Owner
Gordon Hatton -
Source
Geograph (Geograph) -
License
What does this mean? Creative Commons License
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Further information
Link: http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/5794966
Resource type: Image
Added by: Simon Cotterill
Last modified: 4 years ago
Viewed: 357 times
Picture Taken: 2018-05-22 -
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