Gazetteer of
British Place Names

Workington Hall is a ruined historic house in Workington, Cumberland. The structure evolved from a 14th-century pele tower and was the ancestral home of the Curwen family, who obtained a licence to crenellate an existing house in 1380. The Curwens gave shelter to Mary Queen of Scots on her last flight from Scotland, after her defeat at the Battle of Langside, before her long imprisonment and execution. The hall was substantially rebuilt by architect John Carr of York in the 1780s, creating the Georgian building whose ruins are seen today. The surrounding gardens and parklands were designed by Thomas White. The hall remained the family home of the Curwen family until 1929 when it passed to the Chance family by marriage. The hall was requisitioned by the War Office at the start of the Second World War and suffered a serious fire while the troops were billeted there. The family passed the hall over to Workington Borough Council after the War so it could be used as a Town Hall but conversion to this use never happened. Due to safety and vandalism concerns, the council removed the roof in the 1970s and reduced the hall to a controlled ruin. The Hall now stands as a picturesque ruin and is part of the extensive Workington Hall Parklands. It is also used to the stage operas, pageants, plays, and is associated with the towns annual Mediæval ‘Curwen Fair’. It is within the council area of Cumberland.
Historic England Grade I Listed 1144479.

Place Type: Historic House
Historic County: Cumberland
Lat, Long: 54.644448,-3.5394138
Grid Reference: NY 0075 2879
Civil Parish: Workington CP
Council Area: Cumberland CA
Police Area: Cumbria PA

GBPN ID: 319526
Entry Type: Main listing (P)
URL: https://gazetteer.org.uk/place/Workington_Hall,_Cumberland_319526

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