Underley Hall

It was designed in a Jacobean Revival style by the architect George Webster for Alexander Nowell and built between 1825 and 1828, on the site of an earlier house.

After being used as a school between 1940 and 1959, the property became St Michael's College, a junior seminary for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lancaster, for which a modernist chapel was designed by George Grenfell-Baines of architecture practice BDP and constructed between 1964 and 1966.

The school closed in July 2014 [1] Alexander Nowell (1761-1842) who built Underley Hall came from a wealthy landowning family.

The following year he married the sister of his partner Maria Theresa Kearnan who was the widow of Henry Watson, the owner of a valuable dockyard property in Calcutta.

In 1875 the magazine called “The Gardener’s Chronicle” gave a detailed description of the new additions to the house including the tower and the changes to the estate that were being made.

[7] When Thomas died in 1893 his only child Lady Olivia Caroline Amelia Taylour (1869-1939) became the owner of Underley Hall.

The Cavendish-Bentincks enjoyed giving large parties and balls at Underley Hall and were frequently mentioned in the newspapers.

In 1898 they had the house extensively redecorated and after it was completed they held a garden party which was described in detail in the Westmorland Gazette.

Equally good was the celebrated prize brass band conducted by Mr Owen which was stationed in the rose gardens.

The invitation was extended to all persons above 17 in the surrounding townships and close to 2000 gathered on the spacious Underley Hall grounds.