Aynsome Manor History

Aynsome Manor, known originally as just Aynsome, is listed as one of the ancient residences of the gentry of the parish and dates back to the 16th Century. It was once the residence of the descendants of William Mareshal, Earl of Pembroke, founder of Cartmel Priory in 1188. Today it is sited within its own grounds and commands a magnificent view, over streams and meadows, to the Priory Parish Church, some two miles away.

In the hotel lobby, a long case clock by Howell of Bilston, made in 1835, maintains the time with melodious beat. Approaching the broad, shallow, spiral staircase, the fact that it is completely cantilevered may escape the less observant eye, but the crown-like cupola window above never fails to attract attention.

The dining room ceiling has a beautiful plaster moulding depicting the tongue and ball motive with the acanthus leaves, a popular theme in the period of George III. This room is an extension built in 1842 so that the owner, the Reverend Thomas Remington, could reciprocate the hospitality of his friend, the Duke of Devonshire, a hugely respected landowner of that time, in appropriate style. A portrait of his grandfather, Thomas Machell, hangs in the dining room. The Devonshire family still occupy the magnificent family seat, Holker Hall a few miles away and it’s well worth a visit when open to the public.

Immediately above the dining room is a Drawing Room of similar proportions with a notable working fireplace in the Adam style, sculptured in Italian marble. It’s here you can relax with a good book during the day or a glass of brandy after dinner. The first and second floors of Aynsome are deceptive in scale and extend to encompass ten bedrooms in the main house.

On the second floor is the entrance to what was known as the “dark attic”, now ‘Bathroom 10’ and the main control room for the Manor, a suit of chain armour and headgear of the cuir-bouilli style (circa 1335) was discovered in 1930 and now resides in Lancaster Museum.

There is a large, vaulted cellar where our predecessors prepared plenty of space for wine, beer and cider to meet our needs. The barrel roof and stone bins provide the ideal cool facilities with a stone flag floor bridging a stream that runs beneath the Manor. The outer cellar was originally used for storing beer barrels, for in those days, Aynsome had its own brewery, two hundred yards away at the Aynsome Mill Farm. The old boiling coppers and fermenting vessel were removed in 1915.

The other side of Mill Farm was a corn mill where the inhabitants of the parish would grind their corn and followed the tradition of the other parishes in the area, this would have been a ‘Prerogative Mill’ where the church extracted a due for services rendered. After the Dissolution, the mills fell into private hands with all their fiscal privileges – in those days our forefathers entertained no Free Trade notions.

The rear door of Aynsome is dated 1789 and leads onto a neat courtyard and provides access to the Cottages which were created in 1975 from the old stable block, apple store and hayloft which themselves date back to the 16th Century.

Thoughts about the cellars of Aynsome bring to light a strongly held belief that the walled-up tunnel, from the cellar, did lead to the Priory in Cartmel Village or acted as a “bolt-hole” in times of trouble. This has often been taken with a “pinch of salt” but the stories still exist, stating that when electricity/telegraph poles have been erected in a line between Aynsome and the Priory they have sunk inexplicitly into what appears to be the remains of a tunnel. The new owners David and Sharon Haythornthwaite are on a mission to find out, so we will keep you posted.

The question of ghosts, in such an old building, often arises and in spite of some cherished beliefs about a Lavender Lady, we have never heard of such an experience. Rather to the contrary, in the depths of winter when peace prevails, the house retains a warm ambience, generally a happy home, reflecting good times past and present.

The last member of the Remington family left in 1900 to become a missionary in New Zealand. Sadly, much of the land surrounding the house was sold off and the general fabric of the house was allowed to fade over the next 50 years. Aynsome passed through many hands, during this time and a comprehensive list of the Manor’s owners can be found in the hotel lobby. It often operated as a guest house in various formats, but it wasn’t until the early 1970’s that it became a ‘full service’ hotel with the owners at the time, Reginald and Evelyn commissioners of Ambleside to draw up a plan to turn it into a hotel (a copy of the plan can be found in the cellar). The main feature being that every room would be en-suite, which was, believe it or not, quite ahead of its time in 1973! In 1981, it was purchased by the Varley Family and Chris joined his parents in 1986. Chris and his Wife, Andrea helped run the hotel until 2012 when Chris’ parents retired and the Aynsome saga continued, until the hotel was sold to The Haythornthwaite family in late 2023 and became part of their luxury Sedgwick Scott Collection. There, followed eight months of comprehensive renovation with all new electrics and plumbing installed and a total upgrade of every room in the Manor. We hope you enjoy the next chapter.

Aynsome Manor History

Aynsome Manor, known originally as just Aynsome, is listed as one of the ancient residences of the gentry of the parish and dates back to the 16th Century. It was once the residence of the descendants of William Mareshal, Earl of Pembroke, founder of Cartmel Priory in 1188. Today it is sited within its own grounds and commands a magnificent view, over streams and meadows, to the Priory Parish Church, some two miles away.

In the hotel lobby, a long case clock by Howell of Bilston, made in 1835, maintains the time with melodious beat. Approaching the broad, shallow, spiral staircase, the fact that it is completely cantilevered may escape the less observant eye, but the crown-like cupola window above never fails to attract attention.

The dining room ceiling has a beautiful plaster moulding depicting the tongue and ball motive with the acanthus leaves, a popular theme in the period of George III. This room is an extension built in 1842 so that the owner, the Reverend Thomas Remington, could reciprocate the hospitality of his friend, the Duke of Devonshire, a hugely respected landowner of that time, in appropriate style. A portrait of his grandfather, Thomas Machell, hangs in the dining room. The Devonshire family still occupy the magnificent family seat, Holker Hall a few miles away and it’s well worth a visit when open to the public.

Immediately above the dining room is a Drawing Room of similar proportions with a notable working fireplace in the Adam style, sculptured in Italian marble. It’s here you can relax with a good book during the day or a glass of brandy after dinner. The first and second floors of Aynsome are deceptive in scale and extend to encompass ten bedrooms in the main house.

On the second floor is the entrance to what was known as the “dark attic”, now ‘Bathroom 10’ and the main control room for the Manor, a suit of chain armour and headgear of the cuir-bouilli style (circa 1335) was discovered in 1930 and now resides in Lancaster Museum.

There is a large, vaulted cellar where our predecessors prepared plenty of space for wine, beer and cider to meet our needs. The barrel roof and stone bins provide the ideal cool facilities with a stone flag floor bridging a stream that runs beneath the Manor. The outer cellar was originally used for storing beer barrels, for in those days, Aynsome had its own brewery, two hundred yards away at the Aynsome Mill Farm. The old boiling coppers and fermenting vessel were removed in 1915.

The other side of Mill Farm was a corn mill where the inhabitants of the parish would grind their corn and followed the tradition of the other parishes in the area, this would have been a ‘Prerogative Mill’ where the church extracted a due for services rendered. After the Dissolution, the mills fell into private hands with all their fiscal privileges – in those days our forefathers entertained no Free Trade notions.

The rear door of Aynsome is dated 1789 and leads onto a neat courtyard and provides access to the Cottages which were created in 1975 from the old stable block, apple store and hayloft which themselves date back to the 16th Century.

Thoughts about the cellars of Aynsome bring to light a strongly held belief that the walled-up tunnel, from the cellar, did lead to the Priory in Cartmel Village or acted as a “bolt-hole” in times of trouble. This has often been taken with a “pinch of salt” but the stories still exist, stating that when electricity/telegraph poles have been erected in a line between Aynsome and the Priory they have sunk inexplicitly into what appears to be the remains of a tunnel. The new owners David and Sharon Haythornthwaite are on a mission to find out, so we will keep you posted.

The question of ghosts, in such an old building, often arises and in spite of some cherished beliefs about a Lavender Lady, we have never heard of such an experience. Rather to the contrary, in the depths of winter when peace prevails, the house retains a warm ambience, generally a happy home, reflecting good times past and present.

The last member of the Remington family left in 1900 to become a missionary in New Zealand. Sadly, much of the land surrounding the house was sold off and the general fabric of the house was allowed to fade over the next 50 years. Aynsome passed through many hands, during this time and a comprehensive list of the Manor’s owners can be found in the hotel lobby. It often operated as a guest house in various formats, but it wasn’t until the early 1970’s that it became a ‘full service’ hotel with the owners at the time, Reginald and Evelyn commissioners of Ambleside to draw up a plan to turn it into a hotel (a copy of the plan can be found in the cellar). The main feature being that every room would be en-suite, which was, believe it or not, quite ahead of its time in 1973! In 1981, it was purchased by the Varley Family and Chris joined his parents in 1986. Chris and his Wife, Andrea helped run the hotel until 2012 when Chris’ parents retired and the Aynsome saga continued, until the hotel was sold to The Haythornthwaite family in late 2023 and became part of their luxury Sedgwick Scott Collection. There, followed eight months of comprehensive renovation with all new electrics and plumbing installed and a total upgrade of every room in the Manor. We hope you enjoy the next chapter.

 

Aynsome Manor History

Aynsome Manor, known originally as just Aynsome, is listed as one of the ancient residences of the gentry of the parish and dates back to the 16th Century. It was once the residence of the descendants of William Mareshal, Earl of Pembroke, founder of Cartmel Priory in 1188. Today it is sited within its own grounds and commands a magnificent view, over streams and meadows, to the Priory Parish Church, some two miles away.

In the hotel lobby, a long case clock by Howell of Bilston, made in 1835, maintains the time with melodious beat. Approaching the broad, shallow, spiral staircase, the fact that it is completely cantilevered may escape the less observant eye, but the crown-like cupola window above never fails to attract attention.

The dining room ceiling has a beautiful plaster moulding depicting the tongue and ball motive with the acanthus leaves, a popular theme in the period of George III. This room is an extension built in 1842 so that the owner, the Reverend Thomas Remington, could reciprocate the hospitality of his friend, the Duke of Devonshire, a hugely respected landowner of that time, in appropriate style. A portrait of his grandfather, Thomas Machell, hangs in the dining room. The Devonshire family still occupy the magnificent family seat, Holker Hall a few miles away and it’s well worth a visit when open to the public.

Immediately above the dining room is a Drawing Room of similar proportions with a notable working fireplace in the Adam style, sculptured in Italian marble. It’s here you can relax with a good book during the day or a glass of brandy after dinner. The first and second floors of Aynsome are deceptive in scale and extend to encompass ten bedrooms in the main house.

On the second floor is the entrance to what was known as the “dark attic”, now ‘Bathroom 10’ and the main control room for the Manor, a suit of chain armour and headgear of the cuir-bouilli style (circa 1335) was discovered in 1930 and now resides in Lancaster Museum.

There is a large, vaulted cellar where our predecessors prepared plenty of space for wine, beer and cider to meet our needs. The barrel roof and stone bins provide the ideal cool facilities with a stone flag floor bridging a stream that runs beneath the Manor. The outer cellar was originally used for storing beer barrels, for in those days, Aynsome had its own brewery, two hundred yards away at the Aynsome Mill Farm. The old boiling coppers and fermenting vessel were removed in 1915.

The other side of Mill Farm was a corn mill where the inhabitants of the parish would grind their corn and followed the tradition of the other parishes in the area, this would have been a ‘Prerogative Mill’ where the church extracted a due for services rendered. After the Dissolution, the mills fell into private hands with all their fiscal privileges – in those days our forefathers entertained no Free Trade notions.

The rear door of Aynsome is dated 1789 and leads onto a neat courtyard and provides access to the Cottages which were created in 1975 from the old stable block, apple store and hayloft which themselves date back to the 16th Century.

Thoughts about the cellars of Aynsome bring to light a strongly held belief that the walled-up tunnel, from the cellar, did lead to the Priory in Cartmel Village or acted as a “bolt-hole” in times of trouble. This has often been taken with a “pinch of salt” but the stories still exist, stating that when electricity/telegraph poles have been erected in a line between Aynsome and the Priory they have sunk inexplicitly into what appears to be the remains of a tunnel. The new owners David and Sharon Haythornthwaite are on a mission to find out, so we will keep you posted.

The question of ghosts, in such an old building, often arises and in spite of some cherished beliefs about a Lavender Lady, we have never heard of such an experience. Rather to the contrary, in the depths of winter when peace prevails, the house retains a warm ambience, generally a happy home, reflecting good times past and present.

The last member of the Remington family left in 1900 to become a missionary in New Zealand. Sadly, much of the land surrounding the house was sold off and the general fabric of the house was allowed to fade over the next 50 years. Aynsome passed through many hands, during this time and a comprehensive list of the Manor’s owners can be found in the hotel lobby. It often operated as a guest house in various formats, but it wasn’t until the early 1970’s that it became a ‘full service’ hotel with the owners at the time, Reginald and Evelyn commissioners of Ambleside to draw up a plan to turn it into a hotel (a copy of the plan can be found in the cellar). The main feature being that every room would be en-suite, which was, believe it or not, quite ahead of its time in 1973! In 1981, it was purchased by the Varley Family and Chris joined his parents in 1986. Chris and his Wife, Andrea helped run the hotel until 2012 when Chris’ parents retired and the Aynsome saga continued, until the hotel was sold to The Haythornthwaite family in late 2023 and became part of their luxury Sedgwick Scott Collection. There, followed eight months of comprehensive renovation with all new electrics and plumbing installed and a total upgrade of every room in the Manor. We hope you enjoy the next chapter.