Northumberland & Newcastle Society

Visit to Kirharle Church, Courtyard and Lake

Report by Vera Bolter

This visit was remarkable for the range of interesting features to be enjoyed. We assembled first in St Wilfred’s church for an account by Robin Dower of the history of this small but architecturally pleasing building, founded before the14th century but rebuilt and re-stored several times.

Buildings at Kirkharle Courtyard

Kirkharle Courtyard
Photo © Sue Howie

The church and the Kirkharle estate have survived the vicissitudes of Border warfare, and periods of agricultural decline and prosperity. Today we can admire the quality of the masonry in the walls and windowsof the church and enjoy the surrounding landscape.

A medieval stone font bearing the arms of prominent Newcastle families is notable for having come from All Saints Church in Newcastle - there must be an interesting story about how it comes to be in this small church.

The Loraine family were owners of the estate for several centuries. It was Sir William Loraine who noticed the skill of his young gardener, Lancelot Brown, the son of a tenant, born at Kirkharle in 1716.

John Anderson, the current owner, whose family moved out from Newcastle in 1830, took up the story of Brown’s career after leaving Kirkharle in 1739 to achieve fame as Capability Brown, the best known landscape gardener of his day. John Anderson brought his account of developments at Kirkharle up to date by describing the new uses found for redundant farm buildings to set up the Courtyard Centre providing workshops and studios for artists and craft workers, as well as a Coffee shop and Restaurant. The latest venture is the creation of a lake, based on an original plan by Brown, which has been re-discovered. This plan may have been an early attempt at landscape design as a young man, or may have been done on later visits to Kirkharle in the 1760s. It is, in any event, an interesting example of his work, and provided an opportunity for an agreeable stroll to complete the visit. Our thanks to John and Kitty Anderson.

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City and County
August 2011