Morton Community Centre

CARLISLE

NY3854 WIGTON ROAD 671-1/15/316 (South side) 01/06/49 Morton Community Centre (Formerly Listed as: WIGTON ROAD Morton)

II

Also known as: The Manor WIGTON ROAD. House, now community centre. Early C19 on the site of an earlier farmhouse. Cement-rendered walls on chamfered plinth (all dressings of calciferous sandstone), with V-jointed quoins and dentilled eaves cornice. Hipped graduated greenslate roof; rendered ridge chimney stacks. 2 storeys, 5 bays with a 6-bay return (the garden facade) forming an L-shape; set in its own grounds (Morton Park) reputedly laid out by Gilpin, the landscape gardener. Projecting central ashlar porch has engaged Ionic columns, double panelled doors in stone architrave under Chance family motto DEO NON FORTUNA and dentilled broken segmental pediment. Sash windows with glazing bars in stone architraves, those on upper floor are smaller. Garden facade is of 3 builds; left single bay; central 2 bays and right 3 bays. 3-bay part has central panelled door and radial fanlight within in-antis Ionic surround. Flanking squared bay windows, that on left converted to French window. Sash windows above in stone architraves. 2-bay part has left canted bay window and sash windows in stone architraves. Left bay has ground floor C20 casement windows in stone architraves. INTERIOR retains many original features; marble fireplaces in principal rooms, internal panelled shutters and panelled doors in panelled reveals. C19 cantilever staircase with patterned cast-iron balusters and moulded wooden handrail. Moulded plaster ceilings. Panelled wooden billiard room with heraldic shields is a late C19 addition. Internal inscription states that Sir Robert Chance gave this house to the citizens of Carlisle as a Community Centre in 1944; he died in December 1960 and the centre was opened 29 April 1967. For further details see article by Blake Tyson, "Newlaithes Hall", CWAAS Trans.,NS XC. (Cumb. & West. Antiquarian & Archaeological Soc., New Series: Blake Tyson: XC: Newlaithes Hall: P.235-252).

Listing NGR: NY3826854982