Venue Type & Location
Overview
Situated a few miles W from Penrith and originally moated, the sandstone castle stands on high ground above a stream flowing into the Petteril River.
Little survives of the medieval castle although the Victorian reconstruction does incorporate the original 14th c. pele tower.
Performance History
A probable performance venue. No Greystoke household records survive but performers under the patronage of Ralph de Greystoke (1414--87) are known to have performed elsewhere.
Current Status
History of the Venue
1353 William de Greystoke, 2nd Baron Greystoke received licence to crenellate the 12th c. manor house.
early 16th c. Thomas Dacre, 3rd Baron Dacre (of Gilsland) acquired Greystoke via marriage to Elizabeth, 6th Baroness Greystoke.
mid-16th c. Philip Howard, 25th Earl of Arundel, acquired Greystoke via marriage to Anne, daughter of the 6th Baron Dacre & Baron Greystoke.
1648 Captured by parliamentary troupes and damaged by fire.
late 17th c.--early 18th c. Partly rebuilt and refronted.
mid-18th c. Further alterations.
1789 Enlarged and altered in Gothic style.
1836--47 Extensive neo-Elizabethan renovation by Anthony Salvin. Chapel pulled down.
1868 Fire gutted part of the interior.
1875--8 Salvin did further restoration work.
1940s Occupied and damaged by Polish troops during World War II but later restored.
Record Source
REED York 1.66, 69, 71, 75
Patrons who owned this venue
| Name | Date | Titles |
|---|---|---|
| Greystoke, Ralph de | 1414-1487 | Baron Greystoke |
| Greystoke, Ralph de | 1414-1487 | Baron FitzWilliam |
Bibliographic Sources
- Curwen, John F. The Castles and Fortified Towers of Cumberland, Westmorland and Lancashire North-of-the-Sands. Kendal: Titus Wilson, 1913
- Department of the Environment. List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. Np: Npub, nd
- Howard, Mabel. 'Greystoke Castle.'. Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society ns 24 (1924): 156--8.
- Hugill, Robert. Castles and Peles of Cumberland and Westmorland. Newcastle upon Tyne: Frank Graham, 1977
- King, David J. Cathcart. Castellarium Anglicanum: An Index and Bibliography of the Castles in England, Wales and the Islands. 2 vols. Millwood, NY, London and Nendeln, Liechtenstein: Kraus International Publications, 1983
- Mackenzie, James D. The Castles of England: Their Story and Structure. 2 vols. New York: The Macmillan Co., 1896
- Perriam, D.R., and J. Robinson. The Medieval Fortified Buildings of Cumbria:
An Illustrated Gazetteer and Research Guide. Kendal: Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society, 1998 29: - Pettifer, Adrian. English Castles: A Guide by Counties. Woodbridge: The Boydell P, 1995
- Pevsner, Nikolaus. Cumberland and Westmorland. Harmondsworth, Midd: Penguin Books, 1967
- Robinson, John Martin. A Guide to the Country Houses of the North West. London: Constable, 1991
- Somerset Fry, Plantagenet. Castles of the British Isles. New York: Dorset P, 1990