Pennington family celebrate 800 years |
The Pennington family are celebrating their 800th anniversary at Muncaster in the Western Lake District this year. Not many historic homes in the north of England have stayed in the same family for this long. Today three generations of the Penningtons still live at Muncaster. Confirmation that Muncaster belonged to the Pennington family was granted to Alan de Penitone in 1208 by Richard de Lucy, Lord of Egremont in the 10th year of the reign of King John. Peter Frost Pennington says: “Muncaster has a beautiful setting between the Lakeland fells and the Irish Sea. It’s a tremendous privilege to live somewhere like this and to be able to share it with the many visitors who come here every year.” As part of the celebrations there are plans for a big birthday party over the weekend of 28th& 29th June when visitors will be able to enjoy a range of entertainment including medieval re-enactments, by the Red Wyvern Society,. The Castle’s modern day mascot, Max MeadowVole, will also be putting in a special appearance and family fun for all is guaranteed.. Muncaster is rich in history. One of the family’s most prized possessions is a simple drinking bowl – known as the Luck of Muncaster – that was given to Sir John Pennington by Henry VI in 1464 after he was given shelter at the Castle. A family story tells how the king promised them that “as long as this bowl remains whole and unriven, Penningtons from Muncaster never shall be driven”. Peter Frost Pennington says: “Maybe it is the reason we’re still here. So not surprisingly we keep it firmly under lock and key to ensure that it doesn’t get damaged. And we check it once or twice a year to make sure it’s still in one piece!” The Castle’s most famous former resident was in fact not one of the Pennington family. Tom Fool was the family’s jester around 400 years ago. He is believed to have been the inspiration for the Fool in Shakespeare’s King Lear and to have given the word tomfoolery to the English language. Unusually for a servant there is a portrait of Tom Fool, which can still be seen at the Castle today. His antics are celebrated at the Castle on Tom Fool’s Day which is held on the 1st of April and in an annual Festival of Fools at the end of May. The Castle has been added to a number of times over the years. A Pele tower was built in around 1300, probably on the site of an earlier fortification and in the late 18th century the Castle was restored and enlarged after having fallen into a state of disrepair. The Castle’s North Tower was added in the 1830s providing the symmetry to the Pele Tower and giving Muncaster the appearance that it has today. The architect Anthony Salvin was brought in during the 19th century to bring the house more up to date.
|
