A divided heart: Sizergh Castle's ever-changing Inlaid Chamber

In a medieval landscape where timelines twist like newel posts, Sizergh Castle in Westmorland, England hints at its complex story as soon as you glance at its oldest part. Built around the 14th or 15th century, it was initially a borrowed tower from a previous castle, embodying a rich history that stretches back to 1239, when the Strickland family first came into possession of the estate. The castle's current design is Grade I listed, but its heritage goes back even further.

The fashionable inlay paneling in the Inlaid Chamber, a creation from the 1560s, is a testament to Walter Strickland and his wife Alice's aristocratic lifestyle and hospitality. Alice inventoried the house herself, labeling the chamber 'spent' due to the sale of early furniture to the Victoria and Albert Museum in the 1890s. Yet, the panels returned to Sizergh in 1999, their floral and geometric patterns preserved by mothballed oil paint. In 2017, the National Trust officially acquired the estate, leaving Sizergh with a new protector.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons