Rigg Beck House
History
Rigg Beck is the iconic house situated in the Newlands Valley in the Lake District National Park, known locally as the Purple House for obvious reasons.
The house was built to a Canadian design for one Joseph Tickell in 1895.
It was owned by Margaret Gibson and Thomas Pearson from 1928, and then
by Varya Vee, the last owner in 1956. It is said that Sherpa Tensing had
stayed there sometime prior to Varya's tenure.
It has been enormously important in the cultural history of the nation in the second half of the 20th century. Many now famous artists, poets and writers have been the beneficiaries of Rigg Beck's unique hospitality and creative ambience.
The house was run by Varya Vee (formerly Vergauwen) from 1956 with her family, who hosted such people as Ted Hughes and Assia Wevill, Ken Russell, Bob Hoskins, Shelagh Delaney, the painter Michael Wharton, Tom Courtney and Victoria Wood, John Minion, among many others. The house is now empty, and boarded up. It has demolition order on it, in conjunction with a planning application to replace it with two modern dwellings.
Ghost
Hunters (News & Star article)
