| The Moot Hall | |
|---|---|
 The Moot Hall | |
| Location | Keswick |
| Coordinates | 54°36′2″N3°8′14″W / 54.60056°N 3.13722°W |
| Built | 1813 |
Listed Building – Grade II* | |
| Designated | 2 October 1951 |
| Reference no. | 1137345 |
  The Moot Hall Location in the Lake District National Park | |
The Moot Hall is a prominent historic building situated at the southern end of Main Street in Keswick, Cumbria, England. It is Grade II* listed. [1]
The hall has its origins in a medieval courthouse, used by the manor of Castlerigg and Derwentwater, which was in the ownership of the Radclyffe family by the 16th century. [2] Richard Dudley, of Yanwath, acting as the local overseer on behalf of the "Company of Mines Royal", took a lease on the building from Lady Catherine Radclyffe of Derwentwater, the wife of Sir George Radclyffe of Derwentwater (1517-1579), [3] in 1570. [2] Dudley converted it into a storehouse for "weighing and keeping copper". [2] He wrote to the Secretary of State, Sir William Cecil, in October 1570 to report that the works were ongoing and it appears that those works, which involved "pulling down of the old house", were completed the following year. [4]
The upper floor continued to be used as the manorial courtroom while the ground floor was used to store the copper from the mines; once demand for copper reduced, the ground floor was used as a market hall. [2] After the building fell into a dilapidated condition, it was thought to have been rebuilt with stones from the remains of the Radclyffe mansion on Lord's Island in 1695. [5] The freehold ownership of the building passed to the James Radclyffe, 3rd Earl of Derwentwater on the death of his father in 1705; however after James Radclyffe was executed for his involvement in the Jacobite rising of 1715, his property was seized and passed to the trustees of Greenwich Hospital. [6]
The current structure, built of lime-washed stone and slate walling, was commissioned by the trustees of Greenwich Hospital in 1813. [1] [7] It was designed with a square tower on the north end with a round-arched doorway and a double flight of steps inside and with what the Keswick Tourist Information Board describes as an "unusual one-handed clock" at the top. [8] The clock, attributed to Richard Young of Newcastle, [9] is dated 1814; it strikes the hours on a bell which (along with the weather vane on the roof) is said to have come from Lord's Island on Derwentwater. [6]
The Marshall family acquired the building from the trustees of Greenwich Hospital in 1832. [10] It became home to the Keswick Museum of Local and Natural History, a creation of the Keswick Literary and Scientific Society, in 1873. [6] The museum collection included a three-dimensional model of the Lake District, measuring 12 feet by 9 feet, made by Joseph and James Flintoft in 1837. [6] The building was used for civic assemblies [11] and meetings of the Keswick Urban District Council after it was formed in 1894: the local council acquired the building from the Marshall family in 1896, and the museum moved out to purpose-built facilities in Station Road in 1897. [6] However, it ceased to be the local seat of government when the Allerdale Borough Council was formed in 1974. [12] In the late-1970s a Tourist Information Centre was established on the ground floor, [6] while an art gallery was created on the floor above. [13]
As a central landmark in Keswick, the Moot Hall is used as the official start and/or finish point for various challenge events including the Bob Graham Round [14] and runs visiting all the 214 Wainwrights. [15]
Derwentwater, or Derwent Water, is a lake in the Lake District in North West England, immediately south of Keswick. It is in the unitary authority of Cumberland within the ceremonial county of Cumbria. It is the third largest lake by area, after Windermere and Ullswater. It has a length of 4.6 kilometres (2.9 mi), a maximum width of 1.91 kilometres (1.19 mi), and an area of 5.4 square kilometres (2.1 sq mi). Its primary inflow and outflow is the River Derwent, which also flows through Bassenthwaite Lake before reaching the Irish Sea at Workington. There are several islands within the lake, one of which is inhabited. Derwentwater is a place of considerable scenic value. It is surrounded by hills, and many of the slopes facing Derwentwater are extensively wooded. A regular passenger launch operates on the lake, taking passengers between various landing stages. There are seven lakeside marinas, the most popular stops being Keswick, Portinscale and the Lodore Falls, from which boats may be hired. Recreational walking is a major tourist activity in the area and there is an extensive network of footpaths in the hills and woods surrounding the lake.
Keswick is a market town and civil parish in the Cumberland unitary authority area of Cumbria, England. Historically, until 1974, it was part of the county of Cumberland. It lies within the Lake District National Park, just north of Derwentwater and four miles from Bassenthwaite Lake. The parish had a population of 5,243 at the 2011 census.
Appleby-in-Westmorland is a market town and civil parish in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England, with a population of 3,048 at the 2011 Census. Crossed by the River Eden, Appleby is the county town of the historic county of Westmorland. It was known just as Appleby until 1974–1976, when the council of the successor parish to the borough changed it to retain the name Westmorland, which was abolished as an administrative area under the Local Government Act 1972, before being revived as Westmorland and Furness in 2023. It lies 14 miles (23 km) south-east of Penrith, 32 miles (51 km) south-east of Carlisle, 27 miles (43 km) north-east of Kendal and 45 miles (72 km) west of Darlington.
Alston is a town in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England, within the civil parish of Alston Moor. It is located at about 1,000 feet (300 m) above sea level in the North Pennines, the River South Tyne, and shares the title of 'highest market town in England', with Buxton, Derbyshire. Despite its relative isolation, the town has road connections to the Tyne Gap to the north, Weardale and Teesdale to the south-east, and Penrith to the south-west.
Skiddaw is a mountain in the Lake District National Park in England. Its 931-metre (3,054 ft) summit is traditionally considered to be the fourth-highest peak but depending on what topographic prominence is thought to be significant is also variously ranked as the third- and the sixth-highest in England. It lies just north of the town of Keswick, Cumbria, and dominates the skyline in this part of the northern lakes. It is the simplest of the Lake District mountains of this height to ascend and, as such, many walking guides recommend it to the occasional walker wishing to climb a mountain. This is the first summit of the fell running challenge known as the Bob Graham Round when undertaken in a clockwise direction.
Earl of Derwentwater was a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1688 for Sir Francis Radclyffe, 3rd Baronet. He was made Baron Tyndale, of Tyndale in the County of Northumberland, and Viscount Radclyffe and Langley at the same time, also in the Peerage of England. He was succeeded by his son, the second Earl, who married Lady Mary Tudor, daughter of Charles II by his mistress Moll Davis.
Borrowdale is a valley and civil parish in the English Lake District in Cumberland, England. It is in the ceremonial county of Cumbria, and is sometimes referred to as Cumberland Borrowdale to distinguish it from another Borrowdale in the historic county of Westmorland.
Alston Moor, formerly known as Alston with Garrigill, is a civil parish and electoral ward in the Westmorland and Furness district, in the ceremonial county of Cumbria, England, based around the small town of Alston. It is set in the moorlands of the North Pennines, mostly at an altitude of over 1000 feet. The parish/ward had a population of 2,088 at the 2011 census. As well as the town of Alston, the parish includes the villages of Garrigill and Nenthead, along with the hamlets of Nenthall, Nentsberry, Galligill, Blagill, Ashgill, Leadgate, Bayles and Raise. Alston Moor is part of the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), the second largest of the 40 AONBs in England and Wales.
Keswick Museum is a local museum based in Keswick in the English Lake District, which exhibits aspects of the landscape, history and culture of the area.
Lord's Island, which is one of the seven islands on Derwent Water in Keswick, Cumbria, England, got its name from the Earls of Derwentwater who used to live here. Not only was there a fine house on this island but it also had a drawbridge which was used to cross to the mainland.
Portinscale is a village in Cumbria, England, close to the western shore of Derwentwater in the Lake District National Park 1+1⁄2 miles from Keswick.
Barrow House is a late 18th-century mansion situated on the eastern shore of Derwentwater in Borrowdale within the Lake District National Park, in the county of Cumbria, England. The house is a Grade II listed building which since the time of its construction has had various uses: it was originally a private dwelling and has since served as a hotel, a youth hostel run by the YHA, and was then an independent hostel until March 2024.
The County Hall, also known as County Offices, is a building in Stricklandgate, Kendal, England. The structure, which was the headquarters of Westmorland County Council from 1939 to 1974, is a Grade II listed building.
The Town Hall is a municipal building in Highgate, Kendal, Cumbria. It is a Grade II listed building. It serves as the headquarters of Kendal Town Council and also forms part of the complex of buildings which serves as the headquarters of Westmorland and Furness Council.
The Old Town Hall is a municipal building in the Market Place, Carlisle, England. It is a Grade I listed building.
Alston Town Hall is a municipal building in Front Street, Alston, Cumbria, England. The town hall, which is currently used as a public library, is a Grade II listed building.
The Moot Hall is a municipal building in Boroughgate, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, England. The building, which is currently used as the meeting place of Appleby-in-Westmorland Town Council, is a Grade II* listed building.
The Shire Hall is a municipal building in The Sands, Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, England. The shire hall, which is currently used as a dental surgery and business centre, is a Grade II listed building.
The Moot Hall is a municipal building in The Market Place in Brampton, Cumbria, England. The building, which is used as a local tourist information office and as a meeting place for Brampton Parish Council, is a Grade II* listed building.
