Wray Castle

This List entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 31/01/2017

NY 30 SE, 3/11

CLAIFE, WRAY, Wray Castle

(Formerly listed as: R.M.S. Wray Castle)

25.03.70

GV

II*

House, former college of marine electronics. 1840-47. Possibly by. H. P. Horner or J. Lightfoot. Dressed slate with ashlar dressings. Rectangular plan with porte cochere to entrance facade and service wing to south; tall central tower and angle towers. Battered base with frieze and sill course and corbelled and coped parapets. Entrance facade has octagonal tower to left, square tower with octagonal bartizan to right; porte cochere has octagonal turrets, all with embattled parapets. Towers and turrets have arrow slits, most have iron dressings. Windows have double-chamfered openings and label moulds; porte cochere has 3-light double-chamfered-mullioned window. Ground floor window to left has 2-light traceried casement. Porte cochere has triple-chamfered segmented-pointed arches to front and returns. Recessed panels with armorial bearings to returns of porte cochere; corbelled-out panels with arrow slits to 1st floor flanking porte cochere and to left of tower. Embattled parapet above and to rear of porte cochere. Entrance has 1/2 glazed doors and pointed arched fanlight. Central tower has embattled parapet with canted turret to right return. Left return of 5 bays, the 4th and 5th bays wider and breaking forward with octagonal bartizan; octagonal angle towers. Some windows have original traceried casements; 4th bay has canted bay window with 2-light traceried casements and panels beneath; 5th bay has bay with tripartite mullioned window, traceried casements and return lights. 1st floor windows to 4th and 5th bays of 3 lights, one now with later casement; parapet above has projecting embattled section. Right return has canted bay window with 3-light traceried casement window above and projecting bay to right with embattled parapet. Service wing projects to right; embattled parapet corbelled to angle with 2-face clock. End square tower with low wings which have embattled turrets. Rear has projecting service wing to left with square angle towers; right irregular facade of 3 storeys to left; pointed entrance with label mould and canted oriel with 2-light traceried window above.

INTERIOR has octagonal entrance hall with 1st floor gallery. Main hall has encaustic tiles, panelling and segmental pointed heads to doors; 1st floor gallery and imperial stair leading to landing with high hammer-beam roof, canted corbelled angles, niches, plaster panelled frieze, and 2-light transomed windows. Many rooms with elaborate ceilings, former drawing room has linenfold panelling. Beatrix Potter stayed here, 1882. Property of the National Trust.

Listing NGR: NY3749701014