|
Broughton Tower lies at the heart of a small private residential estate at Broughton in Furness, Cumbria.
The building is very old, the central pele tower has stood since about 1330 and there have been continuing additions over the years including major developments in Georgian and Victorian times.
18c painting, the wings were demolished soon after
The two wings shown in the painting are mentioned by Richardson in 'Furness Past and Present' as having been demolished, although he is mistaken, as part of the left hand wing still stands. It forms one of the cottages attached to the main building.
In around 1740 the buildings immediately around the pele tower were redeveloped to wrap around three sides of the tower leaving only the North face untouched.
In the 1880's new wings in the form of towers were added at both East and West ends, as well as a new porch, to form the frontage that we now see.
The building has traditionally been the seat of the Lord of the Manor of Broughton and Subberthwaite.
|
1866 photo, before the Victorian additions
The first recorded Lords of the Manor were the Broughton family, the most famous of whom, Sir Thomas Broughton backed the wrong side in the War of the Roses consequently losing all his estates including Broughton Tower in 1487.
The Tower then passing into the hands of the Stanleys - Earls of Derby - who in turn backed the wrong side in the Civil War, losing their ownership in 1652 to one Edward Lee of Monkwearmouth. Following King Charles' Restoration the Stanleys recovered most of their possessions. Broughton Tower, however, was not restored despite a long legal battle.
In 1658 the Tower was bought by Lt Colonel Roger Sawrey and it remained in that family until 1922, adding Gilpins and Cooksons to the Sawrey line. There is almost no documentary evidence from the Stanleys' time, but a number of records survive from Roger Sawrey's time, preserved at the County Record Office in Barrow.
|
detail from Nates print 1795
In 1922 the Tower was bought by Sir Robert Rankin, a wealthy Liverpool shipowner.
Sir Robert kept the Tower until 1947 when he gifted the entire estate to Lancashire County Council. Broughton, of course, was at that time part of 'Lancashire over the Sands' The modern county of Cumbria only came into existence with the 1974 local government boundary changes.
Broughton Tower remained a school until 1995 when it was bought by developers and the residential estate that we enjoy today was born.
The grounds are not open to the public but in August 2004 the Broughton Tower Estate Management Company (BTEMC) organised a Garden Fete attended by many locals and visitors. The event was a great success and will certainly be repeated in future years.
Lords of the Manor
- before 1487 the Broughton family
- 1487 to 1652 the Stanley family, Earls of Derby
- 1657 to 1922 the Sawrey - Gilpin - Cookson family
- 1922 to 1947 Sir Robert Rankin Bt & MP
- 1947 to 1974 Lancashire County Council
- since 1974 Cumbria County Council
|
|