Muncaster Castle

Muncaster Castle stands on a ridge above the River Esk, a mile east of Ravenglass in Cumbria. The building began as a pele tower in the 14th century, with a Great Hall added soon after. The name first appears as Mulcaster in 12th-century records, showing the site’s long history. Archaeologists believe Roman foundations may lie beneath the present castle. Anthony Salvin remodelled the castle between 1860 and 1866 for the Barons Muncaster. During the Second World War the Tate Gallery sent 700 artworks here for safekeeping. The Pennington family has owned the estate for at least eight centuries. The castle holds the Venetian glass bowl called the Luck of Muncaster. Henry VI reputedly gave it to Sir John Pennington in 1464 with a promise that the Penningtons would never be driven from the land while it remained unbroken. The bowl still survives intact in the castle. A 17th-century jester, Thomas Skelton, once worked here and is remembered in an annual jesting competition. Skelton’s portrait hangs in the castle, showing him holding his will. Local legend claims he once hid a severed head in wood shavings and misdirected unwanted visitors. Visitors walk through rooms shaped by the 19th-century remodelling and the pele tower. The gardens look across the Esk Valley toward the mountains. An aviary holds owls and other raptors with daily flying displays. An indoor maze follows the life of a field vole. The castle hosts a music festival each year and a weekly parkrun. Events also celebrate Skelton’s memory and the estate’s history.