Skelton Castle

NZ 61NE SKELTON & BROTTON MARSKE LANE (off west side) Skelton

3/32 Skelton Castle 25.5.66 G.V. I

Country house, c.1770; altered, and extended to east and on north, south and east sides of courtyard 1810-1817 by Ignatius Bonomi; other extensions within courtyard mid/late C19. Incorporates remains of medieval castle of de Brus family. Dressed sandstone with tooled margins. Shallow-pitched, hipped, Lakeland slate roofs and corniced stacks. Early C19 entrance front (south): 2 storeys, 5 bays. Middle bay projects slightly as quasi barbican, with battered plinth, segmental-headed doorway, panelled doors and embattled bartizans at angles. Sash windows with glazing bars; hoodmould to central window. Embattled parapet, with machicolations to centre bay. West front (c.1770): 3 storeys and basement, in 2 parts. 7 bays to right with slightly-projecting centre bay behind mid/late C19 external dogleg staircase, with flanking walls, leading to full-length sash window on ground floor. Blocked basement windows, 2 to left with chamfered mullions and iron bars. Sashes with glazing bars, altered and renewed on first floor. Embattled parapet. 8 bays to left, framed by 3-stage turrets. Slightly- projecting 4th bay. 2 blocked, chamfered mullioned basement windows; sashes with glazing bars, renewed in first 4 bays on first floor. First bay has canted ground-floor bay window with embattled parapet. Quatrefoil and cross-arrowloop ornaments in turrets. Embattled parapets. Single and 2-storey service wings enclose the courtyard and adjoin north end of west wing; all in similar style. 2-storey wing, incorporating remains of medieval chapel, adjoins rear of west wing. Angle buttresses at south-east angle; traces of blocked pointed full-height window in east side, now holding c.1600 double-chamfered, mullioned-and-transomed, ten-light windows with casements holding leaded lights. Window in gable above has trefoil head and sash with geometric glazing bars. Mid/late C19 extensions adjoin north and east sides. 2-storey gatehouse, to east of entrance front, has Tudor-arched opening to north and south, with boarded double doors. Tripartite opening in each face of first floor, with louvres and continuous hoodmould. Embattled parapet has clock faces to north and south. Single-storey stable wing, with embattled parapet and ornamental arrow loops in south side, links the gatehouse with the entrance front. Interior not inspected, but is said to contain C17 staircase with barley-sugar balusters, in medieval wing; flying staircase by Bonomi, with iron balustrade having anthemion motif; and C18 door surrounds and chimney pieces. Surrounded by dry moat, dammed in C19 at south-east end to form ornamental lake.

Listing NGR: NZ6516819305