Sleddale Hall - House and Farm

House and Farm

Not much is known of the early history of Sleddale Hall. In the medieval period large parts of Wet Sleddale were owned by Shap Abbey, and impressive cultivation terraces belonging to the Abbey's grange in the valley lie immediately to the north-east of Sleddale Hall. These terraces are especially clear on Google Earth. It is believed that Sleddale Hall was the home of William Rawes, Yeoman of Sleddale sometime between 1740 and 1758.

An 1802 description of Sleddale Hall and its surrounding farmland reads "Sleddale Hall is situated a few miles south westwards from Shap in a narrow valley among the mountains. We could find nothing to give us any information as to the quality of land in this farm. There is a considerable extent enclosed on each side of the vale which is at present singularly divided into different fields. This we calculated to be about 250 acres (1.0 km2), consisting partly of woodland, partly of poorish meadow ground, and partly of pasture, all of which, or nearly all, lies in rapid declivities. Besides the above inclosed ground, there may be about 2,300 acres (9.3 km2) of barren mountains, forming altogether a tolerably good sheep farm. The meadow ground is mostly capable of improvement by draining, & that at a reasonable expense. This farm, every thing considered we suppose may be worth a rent of £150. But as observed before, our means of calculating the value were very defective."

In 1829 Sleddale Hall was recorded as: "Sleddale Hall, now a farm-house belonging to C. Wilson, Esq., was long the seat of the ancient family of Sleddale, one of whom was the first Mayor of Kendal, and possessed Gillthwaite-Rigg, and some other estates."

The Wet Sleddale Reservoir was built below the Hall some time in the 1960s to provide water for Manchester, flooding a small part of the dale.

By the time of the filming of Withnail and I in 1986, Sleddale Hall was derelict and in a state of considerable disrepair.