Wray Castle

Wray Castle is a house dating from 1840 to 1847, and formerly a college of marine electronics. It may have been designed by H.P. Horner or J. Lightfoot. The construction is of dressed slate with ashlar dressings, built on a rectangular plan with a porte cochere to the entrance facade and a service wing to the south, and featuring a tall central tower and angle towers.

The base is battered with a frieze and sill course, topped by corbelled and coped parapets. The entrance facade incorporates an octagonal tower to the left, a square tower with an octagonal bartizan to the right, and a porte cochere with octagonal turrets, all embellished with embattled parapets. Towers and turrets have arrow slits, often with iron dressings. Windows have double-chamfered openings and label moulds; the porte cochere features a three-light, double-chamfered-mullioned window. A ground floor window to the left has a two-light traceried casement. The porte cochere’s front and returns are defined by triple-chamfered, segmented-pointed arches. Recessed panels displaying armorial bearings are found on the returns of the porte cochere. Corbelled-out panels with arrow slits are positioned on the first floor, flanking the porte cochere and to the left of the tower. The entrance has half-glazed doors and a pointed arched fanlight.

The central tower has an embattled parapet with a canted turret to its right return. The left return has five bays, with the fourth and fifth bays projecting forward and incorporating octagonal bartizans. Some windows retain their original traceried casements. The fourth bay features a canted bay window with two-light traceried casements and panels below, while the fifth bay has a bay with a tripartite mullioned window, traceried casements, and return lights. First-floor windows in the fourth and fifth bays are of three lights, with one having a later casement. The parapet above projects and is embattled. The right return includes a canted bay window with a three-light traceried casement above and a projecting bay with an embattled parapet. The service wing projects to the right, featuring an embattled parapet that corbels out with a two-faced clock. An end square tower also has low wings with embattled turrets.

The rear of the building has a projecting service wing to the left and square angle towers. The right facade is of three storeys, with a pointed entrance and a canted oriel with a two-light traceried window above.

The interior includes an octagonal entrance hall with a first-floor gallery. The main hall features encaustic tiles, panelling, and segmental pointed heads to doors. The first-floor gallery and imperial stair lead to a landing with a high hammer-beam roof, canted corbelled angles, niches, a plaster panelled frieze, and two-light transomed windows. Many rooms have elaborate ceilings, with the former drawing room showcasing linenfold panelling. Beatrix Potter is known to have stayed at Wray Castle in 1882. The property is now owned by the National Trust.