LOCAL HISTORY - MATHAIS READ

Mathais Read

Described as the finest landscape painter in England of the period, Mathais Read (1669 - 1774) is said to have had the original house built. Mathais was renowned for his almost aerial style of viewing landscapes, a print of one of his works is in the lounge, showing bygone Whitehaven and other works are held in the Beacon collection and Tullie House, Carlisle. Click here for more information.

Whitehaven's Georgian buildings show the wealth that the town had, in the eighteenth centuary indeed Whitehaven was considered to be England's third largest port, and it was built on ship building, coal exports, and imports of rum, sugar and tabacco. Indeed before Jacky and Ann bought the building it had been used as a tobacco warehouse. Nowadays a blue placque remembers the father of Cumbrian painting 'Mathais Read', who lends his name to the guest house.