Summer 2010 Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE:-
Webster Buildings of the Rainbow Parish – Part 2
The Civic Trust and “Civic Voice” – the story so far
Local History Month
Tearnside Heritage Walk
Mansergh and Old Town
Civic Society Visit to Burton in Kendal
Planning Matters
A New Government – New Priorities for the Civic Movement?
Biscuits for Funerals

Webster Buildings of the Rainbow Parish – Part 2
In the last Newsletter a brief history was given of the Webster family of Kendal. It was seen how successive generations grew in the scale of their achievements, from stonemasons in the early eighteenth century to architects of renown in the north of England, culminating in the last of the line and arguably the greatest, George Webster, who died in 1864.
We will now look at some of the legacy of Webster buildings.
BARBON
Underley Grange (formerly called Lowfields), built circa 1825, and attributed to Francis Webster. Classical design, with three bays and a one-bay pediment, and a pedimented tripartite door with windows on either side. The impressive gate posts are believed to have come from Underley Hall.
Whelprigg was built by George Webster for Joseph Gibson in 1834, in the Tudor style, on the site of an earlier house. The south façade of 5 bays shown opposite has numerous gables, pinnacles, ball finials, and transomed chamfered mullioned windows with labels (some stepped). “EGM 1700” is on a datestone over the entrance. The interior is said to have original ribbed plaster ceilings, stone fireplaces and paneling. The Stables are also listed.
CASTERTON
Holy Trinity Church was built in 1833; part school chapel, part village church, it was the brainchild of the Rev. W. Carus -Wilson. His experiences during the building were embodied in his book “Helps to the Building of Churches”, which was intended to provide simple cheap plans for churches, schools and parsonages. It is doubtful if Carus -Wilson himself was capable of drawing plans and elevations or of understanding the qualities of materials used, and it seems likely that George Webster carried out Wilson’s ideas. Carus -Wilson doesn’t acknowledge an architect or builder in his book except for the black Dent marble font from Mr Nixon. The Chancel was added in 1860, and significant restoration was carried out in1891.
The Vicarage for Holy Trinity was built in 1837, also for Carus –Wilson, and he clearly had a competent designer, probably George Webster. Carus -Wilson illustrated the parsonage in 1842 in the second edition of his book. Originally thinly Elizabethan with mullioned windows and barge-boarded gables, it is now much changed. It was clearly the prototype for later parsonages by the firm, that at Staveley said to be particularly close.
The Clergy Daughter’s School (Casterton School) was built in1833, in the same style as the vicarage and is presumed to be by George Webster. It had three bays flanked by one-bay projecting wings.
Casterton Village School of 1841, across the road from the parsonage, is the most picturesque of the group, with mullioned windows, pinnacled dormers, lozenged chimneys and barge-boarded gables. It is probably by Webster, but is now substantially altered, and now also part of Casterton School.
MANSERGH
Rigmaden Park was built by Francis and George Webster and completed in 1828 for Christopher Wilson. It has a 2-storey central saloon, but the most visible feature seen from Lune valley to the east is the magnificent full height bow, with its flanking pedimented windows. On the west side is a porte-cochere with large square columns. The original Greek plaster¬work of the interior was lost following extensive dry rot, but the rebuilding under the present owner is believed to have retained the original chimneypieces. A more detailed account was given in the Summer 2009 edition of this Newsletter.
The Vicarage of 1866 is by Miles Thompson, but several additions to St Peters Church by George Webster were removed in the 1880 re-building by Paley and Austin.
KIRKBY LONSDALE
The Former Trustee Savings Bank was to have had a different architect, but when difficulties arose Miles Thompson was asked to step in, and around 1847 his plans for the building were accepted and implemented. (This was just after George Webster had left the business). The resulting 3-bay building with its rusticated ground floor, impressive central arched porch with balcony and double arched window above surmounted by a bell-cote, remains a credit to the town and elegantly fills the east side of the Market Square. It is not known whether the three original Webster chimneypieces remain, but the pleasing exterior facing the Market Square is largely unchanged. It is said that the forecourt and iron railings, removed in 1970, perfected the setting of this fine building. It has had various uses since being a bank, and is due at the present time there are plans to convert it back to a single dwelling, and these alterations include the restoration of the iron railings.
The Market House, cleverly turning the corner from Market Street into Main Street, is also by Miles Thompson and was built in 1854/5. The rusticated arches on the ground floor were originally all open, and the interior had many slim supporting iron pillars, but these are no longer visible. The attractive arched windows in the first floor are still intact as is the 1855 datestone above the main entrance, but the massive chimney which was above the entrance is long gone. This is still an handsome building and worth stopping for a moment to admire. A detailed article about the Market House appeared in the Autumn 2004 edition of this Newsletter.
The Rectory is a large classical design, possibly by Francis Webster, who made alterations to St Mary’s in 1807. The diminished top floor with its deep bracket eaves is later and in my view detracts from the whole.
The oldest part of Queen Elizabeth School, formerly the Grammar School, was re-built on its present site in 1845-50 and may be by Miles Thompson, or his competitor for the bank, Thomas Garnett. Besides the hood-moulded windows is the 1628 datestone from the original school.
The National School just beyond Fairbank, which replaced the former subscription school, was built in 1857-8 by Miles Thompson. It was long ago converted to flats and named Glebe Court, but it retains many of the attractive external features including a good sprinkling of ball finials.
Underley Hall is one of George Webster’s masterpieces, built in 1825 in tremendous Jacobean style for Alexander Nowell, but now sadly out of bounds to the general public due to its present use as a special school. It is awash with turrets, columns, bays and parapets with open Jacobean decoration. The gateposts on the Old Kendal Road, (see picture) now disappearing under a layer of ivy, give some idea of the grand scale of the building. The original stables, which were very large and important, were destroyed by fire in 1873. The design of Underley was greatly admired by contemporary architects, as well as by more recent commentators, and it is hoped to have an article dedicated to this fine building in a future Newsletter.
Lunefield was a classical residence built for Roger Carus in 1805, beneath what is now Lunefield Drive and adjoining roads, and is attributed to Francis Webster. It was demolished in 1869, as was its replacement some 30 years later, but interestingly, the original gate piers still flank the track from the western end of Devil’s Bridge alongside the river. They are badly in need of cleaning and re-instating.
Other Webster buildings in Kirkby Lonsdale include Cedar House (formerly Cressbrook, Miles Thompson circa 1850) and Leyfield, possibly by Miles Thompson, 1845
Much information for this article was gleaned from “The Websters of Kendal” – A North-Western Architectural Dynasty by Angus Taylor, edited by Janet Martin. Published by CWAAS, 2004. ISBN 1 873124 41 4.

The Civic Trust and “Civic Voice” – the story so far
Those of you with sharp eyes who avidly read the newsletter from cover to cover may have noticed something missing from recent editions. The words “affiliated to the Civic Trust” have disappeared from the back page.
This is because the Civic Trust, a charity representing more than 700 civic societies across much of England, having been hit particularly hard by the squeeze on local authority spending, closed in April 2009.
The Trust was the voice for local groups dedicated to improving their civic and architectural spaces, and was probably best known for the Civic Trust Awards, which were established in 1959 and were one of the oldest built-environment award schemes in Europe. These went to "outstanding projects in architecture, planning, environmental design, landscape, public art and urban design" and were given to more than 5,500 buildings, including cafes, churches, houses and hospitals.
Kirkby Lonsdale Civic Society had long been a member of the Civic Trust, since we were in sympathy with its aims and because for a modest subscription it was a source of information, and also provided our insurance.
Following the demise of the Trust, the “Civic Society Initiative” quickly emerged like a phoenix from the ashes, with broadly similar aims, and in April 2010 this finally grew into a true successor organization, which has been named “Civic Voice”. This is a charity and company limited by guarantee and registered in England, and the core membership is made up of local civic societies, together with support from individuals, town and parish councils, voluntary and public sector organisations and business. Civic Voice is governed by a Board comprising six trustees from civic societies elected by its members and up to two co-opted trustees and is chaired by Paula Ridley.
Civic Voice gets its funding from membership fees, from English Heritage, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and through a variety of project work and corporate partnerships.
Members pay a fee based on the size of their membership, and this is the crunch for us. The initial indication is that the first year fee of £1.50 per person would progressively increase over the next few years. There is an upper limit of £500, but this simply favours societies with a large membership.
Even the initial fee would take a quarter of our total membership income, so we simply cannot afford to become members. Unless we either increase our subscriptions substantially, and/or Civic Voice reduces their’s, then the situation will persist. This is regrettable, since in principle we support the aims of the organization, and member’s views on the matter will be most welcome.

Local History Month
May is Local History Month in Kirkby Lonsdale Library. Mike Kingsbury produced this interesting display about the Civic Society’s “Fingerpost Project”, There are nine “interesting” signs in the Rainbow Parish, the oldest from 1898 being cast iron from the Victoria foundry in Penrith. Casterton Parish Council have already restored one sign. Some fingerposts need extensive restoration including new castings, and Mike is busy fundraising, so that hopefully in time all of this special heritage can be fully refurbished and continue guiding travellers for the next hundred years.
Tearnside Heritage Walk
On Wednesday, July 21st at 7.00 p.m. your Civic Society is organising a 3 mile heritage walk from Tearnside (just off the A65, approximately a mile from Kirkby in the Kendal direction). We will meet in the centre of the hamlet where there is plenty of roadside parking space. If you’d like to come along please feel free to bring a friend or two. There will be a small charge of £2.00 per person to be collected when we assemble. (Children may attend free).
The walk, entirely over local roads, will be led by Peter Spillard and will last for about an hour and a half, during which you will be introduced to some of the extraordinarily rich heritage that this small area displays. Aspects of its history, geology, transport, farming, archaeology and architecture will all be outlined and commented on.
At the end of the walk, as a souvenir, a leaflet describing what you have seen will be given to everyone who has taken part.
For further information and to reserve a place contact Peter Spillard on 01524271944 or Mike Kingsbury on 015242 76434

Mansergh and Old Town
Several members enquired about the origin of the name “Old Town” following the article on the listed buildings of Mansergh. Alan Cox points out that the old inn, the Durham Ox, had marked the southern end of the Galloway Gate, the drover’s road from Carlisle. It also marked the junction of two drove roads, one to Lancaster (via Hophouse Lane) and the other crossing the river at Broken Brow below Mansergh (avoiding the toll at Devil’s Bridge) and thence to Thornton in Lonsdale and eventually down the Great North Road to London. After the collapse of cattle droving following the opening of the Lancaster and Carlisle railway in 1845, the decay of support services which had existed to serve the drovers meant that the Old Town became effectively a ghost town. The focus of the hamlet moved down the hill to low Mansergh where most of the farming took place. Finally the centre of gravity of the village moved irrevocably down the hill after the construction of Mansergh Church in 1880.

Civic Society Visit to Burton in Kendal
A walking tour to look at some of the history and old buildings of Burton in Kendal has been arranged for the evening of Monday 14th June 2010.It will be led by historian Kath Hayhurst of the Holme and District Local History Society.We will meet at Burton in Kendal Memorial Hall on Main St (A6070) in the centre of the village opposite the primary school, and start promptly at 7pm. Duration up to 2 hours.Please wear suitable clothing and footwear.Numbers are limited so if you want to come please email Mike Kingsbury: m.kingsbury455@btinternet.com or call 015242 76434. The cost is £2 for adults and children are free.

Planning Matters

SL/2010/0231 - TSB Building, Market Square, Kirkby Lonsdale
We objected to the proposed single storey extension on the South East corner of the Webster-designed building as inappropriate for a Georgian building. Whilst additions to old buildings do not slavishly have to follow the same design parameters, we feel this proposal is a step too far, and would prefer to see more references to the original in the new build section. The proposal to once again define the front garden of the property by a boundary wall and railings is most welcome, and we applaud the proposal to replicate the original ironwork.
SL/2010/0292 - Biggins Hall Farm Buildings
This proposal lacks the industrial activity proposed in the 2008 application relating to another change of use for the same buildings, but the small winding lane leading to the units is still too narrow for modern goods vehicles and there would be no means of controlling the very limited access, and we objected to the proposal.

A New Government – New Priorities for the Civic Movement?
The new government has begum by making statements about a number of matters which concern this society. The Coalition’s detailed programme for Government contains important commitments and opportunities for the civic movement, including:
Abolishing Regional Spatial Strategies and the accompanying housing allocations
Longer term radical reform of the planning system to give neighbourhoods more control
New powers to curb “garden grabbing”
Abolition of the Infrastructure Planning Commission
A new designation – similar to SSSIs – to protect green areas of particular importance to local communities
Introduction of a presumption in favour of sustainable development
A single consolidated national planning framework, replacing the existing Planning Policy Statements
Replacing Regional Development Agencies with Local Enterprise Partnerships and their likely abolition in much of the country
Granting residents the power to instigate local referendums on any issue
Whilst Kirkby Lonsdale Civic Society is strictly politically neutral, these early commitments seem generally helpful to organisations and communities like ours, and we look forward with interest to see whether real benefits flow from them.

Biscuits for Funerals
This image recently came to light in our archive. It looks like a handbill, in style probably turn of the twentieth century, but I have no further information. If any member knows more, please contact the editor.