Lowther Castle, dramatic ruins that tell dramatic stories in the Lake District.

Address: Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 2HH.

Lowther Castle is an impressive ruined country house with an extensive 130-acre garden in Cumbria, near Penrith. Although the current house was built around 1814, there is some evidence that the Lowther family has occupied the grounds since the 11th century.

William Lowther, the 1st Earl of Lonsdale, inherited the estate from his cousin, Sir James Lowther, in 1802. Along with the estate, William received a large debt to William Wordsworth’s father, which James Lowther refused to pay despite many requests. When William took over his inheritance, he immediately paid the debt back with interest. He also commissioned a young architect, and the current house you can see today was built between 1806 and 1814.

When William Lowther deceased, subsequent heirs didn’t leave any significant traces in the Lowther Castle history. But not the 5th Earl of Lonsdale, well-known as the ‘Yellow Earl’. Hugh Cecil Lowther inherited the castle in 1882, at the age of 25. He had the reputation of a lavish host, with a strong passion to dissipate his wealth on an extravagant lifestyle and hobbies. Famous for his penchant for the yellow colour, he owned yellow carriages, a private orchestra in a yellow uniform and a special train carriage for his dogs. As a result, the Yellow Earl ended up being in a tight financial situation. In 1935, he left Lowther Castle because he could no longer afford to live there. Hugh Cecil Lowther was the last person to live in the castle. In 1937, the castle was closed for good. 

During the Second World War, Lowther Castle was used by a tank regiment. Partly damaged and then being empty for a few years, it was returned to the family about 1954. Unfortunately, the family couldn’t afford to maintain the house anymore. The only option to avoid enormous taxes was to partly demolish the house. The roof was removed, some stoneworks were destroyed, and only the facade and outer walls remained.

Now the castle is managed by the Lowther Castle & Gardens Trust. After rounds of investment and renovation efforts, Lowther Castle was opened to the public in 2012, for the first time since 1938. Now it is a fully managed ruins with extensive well-maintained gardens divided into different zones: Rock Garden, Japanese Garden, Sweet Scented Garden, and Rose Garden.