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Restoration work at a former Tudor hunting lodge – the Ashes in Cumbria – has revealed beautiful paintings lurking beneath the failing plasterwork.
The paintings were discovered in the primary upstairs bedroom of the lodge, and are believed to date to shortly after its construction in the early 1560s. At this time, Castle Sowerby – the village in which the Ashes is located – was one of a group of medieval manors collectively known as the Honour of Penrith, which fell under Crown ownership.
Done in a rare style known as ‘Antiquework’, the paintings themselves were created in a black-and-white imitation textile design, which incorporates fantastic beasts and foliage in a Grotesque style. Arranged in panels, the artwork was likely once extensive, continuing from the two remaining panels either side of the fireplace to cover the entire room. On one wall, scrollwork decoration extends into the window, with traces on the sandstone frame providing a rare clue that that too was painted.
The main right-hand panel contains a fantastic hoofed beast. Although the head has not survived, experts believe it may have been an elephant or horse, with a turreted building strapped to its back. This central motif is flanked by two gargoyles.
Speaking of the significance of the find, Richard and Jen Arkell, who own the property and commissioned and funded the restoration works, commented on the intriguing composition: ‘The juxtaposition makes this a truly fascinating example. It is an extremely unusual scheme of its type nationally and a rare survival in Cumbria.’
These are not the first paintings to have been discovered in the room: during remedial works carried out in the 1970s, workers discovered an image of a dog’s head, which would once have formed part of a larger panel and was restored in 2022. Traces of paintings were also discovered in the principal ground floor room (known as the ‘Hall’) in 2012/2013, suggesting that paintings were spread throughout the original house.
While it is not known who owned the Ashes at the time the paintings were created, their discovery comes alongside recent dating which has helped to establish the chronology of the lodge. ‘Now that we have a definitive date for the timbers in the original house (from dendrochronology commissioned and funded by Historic England), it is hoped that, in due course, more can be learned about the origins of the Ashes from relevant manorial documents,’ Richard said.
On advice from Historic England, the paintings have since been granted protection by the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport as part of the Grade II* listing for the building.
Text: Rebecca Preedy / Image: Richard Arkell
