Wardhall Guards Farm
Introduction
The photograph on this page of Wardhall Guards Farm by Matthew Hatton as part of the Geograph project.
The Geograph project started in 2005 with the aim of publishing, organising and preserving representative images for every square kilometre of Great Britain, Ireland and the Isle of Man.
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Wardhall Guards Farm
Image: © Matthew Hatton Taken: 22 May 2014
Despite its drab looks, this was once the family seat of Dykes family, Lords of the Manor in the 16thC. Here Thomas Dykes, a devoted Royalist, secreted himself after the defeat of his party at the battle of Marston Moor, when the adherents of Charles were everywhere hunted down by the soldiers of Cromwell. The hidden Royalist was regularly fed by his wife and daughter, who brought food from the hall; but, though he escaped for the time, he afterwards fell into the hands of the Cromwellians, and was imprisoned in Cockermouth Castle, where he died. He was offered his liberty and the restoration of his property, if he would become a traitor to his King by joining the Parliamentarians, but his reply was :- "Prius frangitur quam flectitur'' (Rather break than bend), which has since been adopted as the family motto.
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Image Location
Latitude
54.734782
Longitude
-3.347854