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Wray Castle is located in the village of Clayfe, Cumbria, England. The castle and its grounds are owned by the British National Trust, but the castle has recently been opened to the public.
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| Wray Castle |
Wray Castle is a classic example of Victorian Gothic Revival, built in 1840 for Dr. James Dawson, a retired Liverpool military doctor. At the same time, the Wray Church was built not far from the castle. In 1877, after the death of Dr. Dawson, his distant relative Wardwick Rawnsley became vicar of the church. He was very worried about the very urgent problem of pollution of villages in connection with the development of science and technology. It was Wardwick Ronesley, together with renowned philanthropists Octavia Hilly Sir Robert Hunter, who became the founder of the British National Trust for Historical Interest or Natural Beauty. The idea of preserving historical and natural objects for the memory of descendants was put forward by the English poet and artist John Ruskin.
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| Wray Castle |
Wray Castle is associated with another key figure in the life of the National Trust - the famous children's writer Beatrice Potter. Here, at the age of 16, she spent the summer in 1882, and in 1905, with the money received from the publication of her first books, she bought the Hill Top house, located next to the castle. Later, Beatrice Potter became the owner of numerous lands in this area, but she never acquired the castle itself.
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| Wray Castle |
In 1929, Wray Castle and the 64-acre land surrounding it were donated to the National Trust. Since that time, the castle has been used for various purposes, including as a correctional center. In 2011, the National Trust decided to lease the castle to be turned into a luxury hotel, but instead just opened it up to the public. At the moment, Wray Castle is very popular with tourists, especially among children.
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| Wray Castle |
The castle grounds, open to the public all year round, are bordered by Lake Windermere. This area is famous for its flora - trees such as ginkgo, linden, beech and sequoia grow here.