From the Daily Telegraph, 23rd February 2008

Church of England plans to sell off its palaces

Resplendent with moats, gatehouses and banqueting halls, bishops' palaces are among some of the grandest buildings in the country. Now, however, the historic homes, which have belonged to the Church of England for centuries, could be sold off in a bid to raise money for cash-strapped parishes.

A confidential internal review is examining whether the diocesan bishops' houses, nine of which are palaces, are appropriate for the Church to keep. The bishops' residences are worth about £120 million, but cost up to £9 million each year to maintain.

They are at the centre of a row between Church commissioners over whether it is justifiable to retain such opulent residences, which give the perception of bishops living in luxury while parish clergy struggle to make ends meet.

While the commissioners - who are responsible for overseeing the Church's £4 billion of assets - are to look at all of the historic palaces over the next few years, they met last week to debate the future of Rose Castle, which has been home to the bishops of Carlisle since the 13th century and is estimated to be worth around £2 million.

It is one of the Church's oldest palaces and was described by Wordsworth and Coleridge as "all but perfect". But despite the building's rich history, The Sunday Telegraph has learnt that the bishoprics committee, an influential advisory group, has recommended its sale. It argued that the castle, with its 16 bedrooms, contravenes new guidelines, which recommend that bishops should not live in homes with more than five bedrooms and two bathrooms. It is understood the sale has been strongly opposed by the Bishop of Carlisle, the Rt. Rev Graham Dow.

The battle over Rose Castle is set to be repeated when the inquiry considers the viability of other historic palaces that "modernisers" claim are inappropriate residences for bishops. One commissioner said that there was a renewed determination among some of his colleagues to sell.

"I'm not sure where this drive to do away with our heritage has come from, but it is a worrying development," he said. "These buildings have been in the Church for centuries and we have taken great care in ensuring that they have been looked after. They are part of our history and it seems a shame that there are these modernisers who see doing away with them as an attempt to conduct some kind of class warfare."

A senior bishop also expressed dismay. "If the Church of England had devised a system for destabilising and demoralising its senior leaders it couldn't have done better than what the commissioners have been doing," he said. "There is massive local feeling of anger against bureaucrats in London taking decisions about other people's local heritage without the slightest idea of how things are viewed by ordinary people on the ground."

However, the Rt. Rev Stephen Lowe, the Bishop for Urban Life, said that the bishops' palaces were impossible to defend.

"There are those who believe that we should hold on to our heritage regardless of the costs, but I can't justify these homes with 16 bedrooms to the poorer urban parishes struggling to pay for their clergy," he said. "The commissioners have decided to set a standard for see houses, which, time after time, they've failed to apply."

Those deemed to be no longer suitable or too expensive to maintain may be transferred to heritage organisations or trusts or put on the market. The Church of England has already decided to sell 800?year-old Hartlebury Castle, the residence of the bishops of Worcester since the 13th century, and other senior bishops have moved to more modest accommodation in a bid to save on heating and gardening costs.

The commissioners' board of governors is understood to have blocked calls for Rose Castle's sale, but the future of every house will be reviewed when its resident bishop reaches the age of 62, which means that Auckland Castle, arguably the finest of all the bishops' residences, will be at risk of being sold in 2010.
A spokesman for English Heritage pointed out that part of Durham University has been housed in the bishop's residence for nearly 200 years.

"Ownership is not a static matter, whether you go back to the palaces surrendered to King Stephen by the bishops of Salisbury and Lincoln in the 12th century," he said. "Bishops' palaces, like stately homes or ancient castles, are a footprint of our nation's history.”

Crispin Holborow, of the estate agent Savills' country houses department, said that the bishops' palaces would be likely to attract plenty of interest from buyers. He added: "Anything that's a castle or a palace has a cachet for an international market."

From the News and Star, 25th February 2008

Bishop can keep home

The Bishop of Carlisle will be able to stay in his home following a review of Bishop’s residences. The Church of England wanted to sell off residences, like Rose Castle, to raise money for cash-strapped parishes. But after a meeting and review, Rose Castle, near Dalston - which is home to the Rt. Rev Graham Dow and his wife Molly - is safe to stay as a Bishop’s residence.

Richard Pratt, spokesman for the Carlisle diocese, said: “Following a review of the Carlisle see house, the Board of Governors of the Church Commissioners have decided to retain Rose Castle for the use of the Bishop of Carlisle. The suitability of each see house is reviewed, as a matter of course, during the incumbency of each bishop. As one of the remaining historic see houses, it is the Board of Governors that decides the future of Rose Castle. The site of Rose Castle has been home to the Bishops of Carlisle since the thirteenth century. Both the current bishop, the Rt. Rev Graham Dow, and his predecessor, as well as the diocese, regard Rose Castle as suitable, offering appropriate living and working accommodation to meet the ministerial and family needs of the bishop.”

Rose Castle is one of the church’s oldest palaces and was described by Wordsworth and Coleridge as “all but perfect”. The bishoprics committee - an influential advisory group - had recommended its sale. It argued that the castle, with its 16 bedrooms, contravenes new guidelines, which recommend that bishops should not live in homes with more than five bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The Church of England has already decided to sell 800-year-old Hartlebury Castle, the residence of the bishops of Worcester since the 13th century, and other senior bishops have to make do with more modest accommodation in a bid to save on heating and gardening costs.


From the News and Star, 26th February 2008

Open the doors to Rose Castle

It’s definitely a des res – a 13th century castle with 16 bedrooms and a price tag of about £2m on the open market. It is square-built and certainly stately, secluded and with ornate gardens.

But Rose Castle, the home of the Bishop of Carlisle, the Rt. Rev Graham Dow, is not up for sale – yet. It is just one of the grand estates in the Church of England’s property portfolio that commissioners have considered selling off. The Church is desperate to raise money for its cash-strapped parishes and selling land and property is one option.

Rose Castle has been spared, which we and the Bishop are grateful for. Grateful, because it would be wrong for such a wonderful building to be in private hands.

Surely one way for the C of E to raise money and forge closer links with the public is to open the doors of Rose Castle and other bishops’ residences. After all, these stately homes are part of our heritage and have been partly paid for by us and our forefathers. We should have more opportunity to see and share them.

While Rose Castle might not be a suitable venue for weddings and company ‘executive strategy’ meetings, surely there is scope to stage regular open days or even weeks? The doors could open while the Bishop is on holiday to cause him minimal disruption.

If Buckingham Palace can manage it, why can’t the C of E.

A couple of my old postcards of Rose Castle.

The Buck Brothers' engraving of Rose Castle.

http://www.visitcumbria.com/car/rosecas.htm

http://www.thecumbriadirectory.com/Tourist...Rose_Castle.php

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cumbria/faith/feature...llery/190.shtml

From The Cumberland News, 29th February 2008

Bishop can stay in his castle

The Bishop of Carlisle will be able to stay in his home following a review of Bishops’ residences. The Church of England wanted to sell off residences, like Rose Castle, to raise money for cash-strapped parishes. But after a meeting and review, Rose Castle, near Dalston, which is home to the Rt Rev Graham Dow and his wife Molly, is able to stay as a Bishop’s residence.

Richard Pratt, spokesman for the Carlisle Diocese, said: “Following a review of the Carlisle house the board of governors of the Church Commissioners have decided to retain Rose Castle for the use of the Bishop of Carlisle. The suitability of each house is reviewed, as a matter of course, during the incumbency of each bishop. As one of the remaining historic houses, it is the board of governors that decides the future of Rose Castle. The site of Rose Castle has been home to the Bishops of Carlisle since the 13th century. Both the current bishop, the Rt. Rev Graham Dow, and his predecessor, as well as the diocese, regard Rose Castle as suitable, offering appropriate living and working accommodation to meet the ministerial and family needs of the bishop.”

Rose Castle is one of the Church’s oldest palaces and was described by Wordsworth and Coleridge as “all but perfect”.

The Bishoprics Committee – an influential advisory group – had recommended its sale. It argued that the castle, with its 16 bedrooms, contravenes new guidelines, which recommend that bishops should not live in homes with more than five bedrooms and two bathrooms. The Church of England has already decided to sell 800-year-old Hartlebury Castle, the residence of the bishops of Worcester since the 13th century, and other senior bishops have to make do with more modest accommodation to save on heating and gardening costs.

The Rt. Rev Stephen Lowe, the Church’s Bishop for Urban Life, said: “There are those who believe that we should hold on to our heritage regardless of the costs, but I can’t justify these homes with 16 bedrooms to the poorer urban parishes struggling to pay for their clergy.”