About

Both visually and historically, Rydal Hall is the key building in Rydal, and the history of Rydal Hall goes back more than 600 years.

The History of Rydal Hall

Sir Thomas le Fleming and his family built the first Rydal Hall at St John’s Knott in 1409. Today, this is the small mound and wood next to the entrance of the Ambleside cricket club on the A591. Although the site was defensible and remote, it became too cramped as the family grew in importance. So in 1600, William Fleming built the Hall on the present site. (The family had dropped the “le” prefix during the Tudor wars with France.) The original house stands next to the tea shop and is now known as the ‘Old Kitchen and Bar’.

Later, William’s son Daniel greatly expanded the site. He built the bank barn (Bishop Bulley Barn), coach house, stables and schoolhouse, which is now the tea shop. Rydal Hall then passed down through the Fleming family. In 1757, the fourth baronet, Sir Michael, took back the original family name of le Fleming. Sir Michael also built the Georgian south wing in 1789, which is the modern front of Rydal Hall.

After the death of the last Squire le Fleming, the family let the Hall from the 1940s. During the Second World War, it housed a school. Afterwards, Rydal Hall became a hotel. Then in 1963, the Diocese of Carlisle took it on as a Retreat House: a place of hospitality, tranquillity and spirituality for all.

Thanks to the efforts of the Right Reverend S.C. Bulley (Bishop of Carlisle 1966–1972), the Diocese of Carlisle bought Rydal Hall and 30 acres of the surrounding land in 1970, after a long period of negotiation.

Rydal Hall Today

Today, the Hall is a residential conference and retreat centre, and we have converted the outbuildings for a variety of uses. For example, the former Bank Barn, now called Bishop Bulley Barn, hosts large meetings and receptions. In addition, the Bunkhouse sleeps 28 people, and there are camping grounds with pitches and eco-pods. The coach house and the stable are now self-catering cottages.

The Mawson Gardens

The grounds of Rydal Hall include the nationally important Formal Garden. In fact, it is one of the country’s most complete examples of the work of Thomas Mawson, who designed and laid out the Italianate terraced garden in 1909. Mawson was born near Lancaster and lived in Windermere. He combined his love of plants with his knowledge of building, skilfully uniting architecture and landscape. His use of concrete in his garden layouts was also innovative.

Meanwhile, the Tea Shop was once the schoolroom for the le Fleming children and children from Rydal village.

If you would like to find out more about the history of Rydal Hall, the Armitt Library in Ambleside and the County Records Office in Kendal both hold considerable archives.

Today, Rydal Hall is home to a resident community and supported by the Friends of Rydal Hall. We are committed to caring for the estate for generations to come – read more about our sustainability work.