Sizergh Castle

Bordering the scenic Lake District, less than five miles south of Kendal, lies the ancestral home of the Strickland family. When Elizabeth Deincourt, the heiress of Sizergh, married Sir William de Stirkeland in 1239 she could not have visualised how many generations of Stricklands would continue to live on the estate granted to her great-grandfather by Henry II.

It is uncertain what type of building existed in Sir William's time as there are no significant remains, but a well documented history of the family exists in the Sizergh muniments. The core of Sizergh Castle as seen today is a massive mid-14th century Pele Tower built of limestone rubble walls, in places up to some 10ft (3m) thick. About 100 years later a great Tudor Hall was added, which was subsequently remodelled in the mid-16th century when a south wing was constructed to accommodate the servants and several workshops. Finally a north wing was added, providing an Elizabethan kitchen, more bedrooms and some administrative offices. By the end of the 16th century Sizergh Castle had evolved into a fortified manor house, arranged around three sides of an open courtyard. Despite many modifications over the last 600 years, the layout has remained the same until the present day, and a member of the Strickland family is still in residence.

Sizergh Castle contains a wealth of family and Royal portraits, wonderful specimens of old furniture, and some interesting pieces of porcelain. But, more impressive than the contents, is the remarkable architecture and internal decoration of Sizergh Castle. Throughout the house the carving is breath-taking, the lavish use of oak providing many superb features, from fully panelled walls to narrow wooden strips used to decorate the ceilings. Both the dining room and the Queen's Room have oak ribs forming geometrical patterns across the ceiling, and the finished effect resembles a huge spider's web.

Family coats of arms are seen everywhere in Sizergh Castle, and there is a particularly beautiful example in the carved oak overmantle of the Old Dining Room. Even though every room in Sizergh Castle deserves due consideration of the craftsmen's skills, the original State Bedroom (known as the Inlaid Chamber) is a sumptuous display of Elizabethan workmanship. Considered to be the finest example of panelling in an English country house, the motifs used typify the Italian Early Renaissance. This stunning room is completed with a ribbed plasterwork ceiling, heavily embellished with armorial plaques, and an arcaded window with stained glass roundels displaying more coats of arms.

After feasting on the delights within Sizergh Castle, the visitor has yet more to discover in the grounds. In the 1920s the old orchard site was transformed into a rock garden of huge dimensions with the use of limestone, conifers, maples and ferns, and a walk through this beautiful area is not to be missed. There is a small terrace garden, areas of shrubbery, and a woodland forming just part of this 1500 acre estate.