Mothering Sunday

Mothering Sunday meant a trip up the M6 in glorious Sunshine to see my Mum and to lay flowers for Mrs. P's Mum. Thoughts and prayers were never far from Fabrice Muamba, whose Mum could surely never have expected a Mothering Sunday like this.

We were married almost 25 years ago in St Michael's Church at Lowther, near Penrith.
It dates back over 1000 years and the present Church dates from 1686, with some 18th and 19th Century additions. I think it's fair to say it has done its share of work as a place of worship but it came as a shock when we learnt from my Mum that it is threatened with closure. The simple economics of maintaining a building of this age, coupled with dwindling congregations I guess will result in its demise.

The blip is of the other side of the Park, where the magnificent Lowther Castle once stood in all its grandeur. It was built in 1807 but fell into disrepair as a result of the antics of the 5th Earl of Lonsdale..
He was quite a character by all accounts and became known as The yellow Earl because of his love for the colour. Among his better contrbutions were the introduction of The lonsdale Belt for Boxing, and he founded the Automobile Association (which explains their yellow vehicles).

But in a long life he spent the family fortune, bankrupting his coal mines. This, the high taxes and the slump in farm incomes of the Great Depression of the 30s led to the closing of the castle in 1936.

He was the longest lived of the Earls of Lonsdale, the 5th Earl died in 1944 with no heir and with little concern for those who would be burdened by the Castle, the estate and his debts, which were inherited by his (by then aged) youngest brother Lancelot who sold the majority of the family collections in 1947.

National lottery Funding has been granted to make the shell of the building safe and work has started to restore the magnificent gardens so we can all enjoy this wonderful area