Muncaster Castle, Gardens, Hawk & Owl Centre

The castle, nestled on a majestic vantage point on the Lake District coast, is reputedly built on Roman foundations. Muncaster is a key part of the region’s history. Whilst the Pennington family have recorded evidence of living at Muncaster since 1208 when lands were granted to Alan de Penitone, some records go back further suggesting that the family may have been here since the 11th century.

A castle was built in the later 13th century and enlarged in the 14th when a pele tower was erected on the foundations of a Roman watch tower, part of its fabric being incorporated in the south-west tower. A coin from the time of Emperor Theodosius (AD380) has been found, and there is also a Victor ring.

It was the 1st Baron Muncaster who carried out far-reaching renovations in the 1780s including planting most of the large hardwood trees, founding the library and covering the courtyard to form the elegant Drawing Room. His great-nephew Gamel Augustus, 4th Lord Muncaster who shortly before his death in 1862 instructed the fashionable architect Anthony Salvin, to update the house.

Salvin rennovated the Drawing Room, adding its much-admired barrel ceiling which was the work of two Italian plasterers.

The 5th and last Lord Muncaster, Gamel’s brother, died in 1917 and the Muncaster estate passed to his first cousin, Sir John Ramsden, on condition his son change his name to Pennington. Sir John carried out extensive works in the gardens and brought many of the Ramsden possessions, including the Ramsden family portraits, to Muncaster.

Muncaster Castle is a fine example of one of the Lake District and Cumbria’s favourite historic houses – come and see for yourself just how impressive the building and historic gardens are.