Edmond Castle

Edmond Castle stands north of Hayton village in Cumbria, a nineteenth-century building remodelled for Thomas Graham. Sir Robert Smirke designed the first enlargement between 1824 and 1829, and his brother Sydney Smirke added further work between 1844 and 1846. The castle’s history follows the Graham family through several generations. In 1937 the estate passed to Eric Graham, who sold it soon after. Czech refugees found shelter here from June 1940 under new owners Henry Studholme Cartmell and Stanley Walton. The castle later served as a borstal for delinquent boys before becoming a hotel. Property developer David Dyke bought it in 2005 and it is now home to Philip Day, chief executive of the Edinburgh Woollen Mill chain. The Grahams’ influence remains visible in the fabric of the building. Smirke’s classical style gives the interiors a stately appearance. The estate’s varied uses reflect its adaptability across the centuries. Visitors approach along quiet lanes to see the castle’s stone façades and landscaped grounds. Inside, the rooms retain features from the Smirke brothers’ designs. The setting offers views over the surrounding Cumbrian countryside. The house sits within a larger estate that once supported the Graham family’s lifestyle. The present owners have maintained the property without altering its historic character.