Workington Hall

Workington Hall is a fortified tower house dating to the mid-14th century, with significant alterations and additions made in the 15th and 16th centuries, and substantial rebuilding in the late 1780s by John Carr for the Curwen family. The building is now in ruins. It is constructed of mixed blocks of red and calciferous sandstone, with additions of similar rubble stone, all now without roofs. The oldest parts stand on a chamfered plinth.

The original structure consists of a rectangular, three-storey tower with an adjoining L-shaped medieval wing, which was reduced to single-storey and subsequently rebuilt as three storeys by Carr. A two-storey hall range dating from the 15th century, with five bays, adjoins these elements, enclosing a courtyard on two sides. The courtyard is completed by a medieval gatehouse tower and a wing added by Carr. The tower was extensively renovated by Carr, though some original loops (arrow slits), a spiral staircase, and mural chambers remain. The building features late 18th-century round and flat-headed windows, which are unglazed.

The wing has a projecting three-storey garderobe turret and ground-floor loops. Large first-floor late 18th-century round-headed window openings are visible, with those above in ruins. A further canted bay window has been added to the left, and a right-angled kitchen range of matching style is positioned to the right, featuring an angle turret. The hall range has blocked windows and doorways of varying dates, including two early 16th-century two-light ground-floor windows and a 15th-century upper-floor window. The inner wall displays 15th-century doorways and blocked early 16th-century multi-light windows.

The three-storey gatehouse has flanking guardrooms with an angle turret to the right, displaying small original windows with chamfered surrounds. The round-headed through archway and windows of the gatehouse are late 18th-century alterations. An adjoining late 18th-century wing mirrors the style with flat-headed window openings. The Curwen family, who obtained a licence to crenellate in 1380 (the foundation stone of the tower is traditionally said to have been laid on 8 May 1362), owned the hall until it was sold to the local council in the mid-20th century. Following vandalism, the council reduced the building to a controlled ruin.