Rest and Recuperation at Cuba Court, Banagher.

 Charlotte and Arthur, accompanied by Arthur’s brother Allen and his cousins Mary Anna and Joseph, all arrived back at their family home Cuba court. Arthur, aged 7 and Allen aged 9 had been sent there in 1825 to be brought up by their uncle and aunt as their parents were struggling financially to raise their 10 children.

Passing through the gates of Cuba Court and driving up the lime tree lined driveway to the large and imposing house, Charlotte must have been impressed and possibly a little surprised. 

In her letter of 10 July,1854 to Margaret Wooler she wrote,

“I cannot help feeling singularly interested in all about the place… it is very large and looks externally like a gentleman’s country seat - within most of the rooms are lofty and spacious and some - the drawing-room - dining room &c. handsomely and commodiously furnished…”

Maurice Craig (1919-2011) an Irish architectural historian, described Cuba Court as “perhaps the most splendidly masculine house in the whole country'.

Cuba Court was two stories high with a basement. The south front had seven bays and the west had five.

              Cuba Court built in 1730 for a former governor of Cuba, George Fraser, hence the name.

Arthur’s uncle Dr Alan Bell had bought the headmastership of the Royal Free School at Banagher in 1821. Cuba Court came with the job. The school was housed in a building adjacent to the house. Both Arthur and Allen received a very good education at their uncle’s school and Arthur later returned to teach there.

Cuba Court in about 1978 from the excellent Offaly History website https://offalyhistoryblog.wordpress.com/2017/03/15/arthur-bell-nicholls-return-to-banagher-1861-1906-part-1-a-new-lifestyle-by-james-scully/

When I went to visit Cuba Court there was little remaining. The house has been completely demolished, with only the ruins of the school still standing.

To find Cuba Court I went along Cuba Avenue which joins onto Banagher’s main street.

I looked for the old gateway which now leads onto private land with one of Ireland’s ubiquitous bungalows built just inside the gates.

To get to where Cuba Court was and the ruins of the school house you must cross a field.

Cuba Court is in a lovely rural setting. One can imagine the Bell children and the school children enjoying playing in the countryside there. The area struck me as being the antithesis of Haworth town where Charlotte had been brought up with its cramped weaver’s cottages and unsanitary conditions.

The remains of the Royal Free School, Banagher.

The ruined schoolhouse.

                  Interior of the ruined school house. 

How amazing it would be if,  going forward, the old school house could be saved and renovated to become a heritage centre promoting Bronte studies and other local history and literary interests.

It is a shame Cuba Court has been demolished. It was in that very home that Charlotte Bronte was tenderly nursed back to good health “with kindness and skill” (she wrote to Miss Wooler) by Arthur’s aunt Harriet, where she found the gentlemen to be “thoroughly well educated”, Mrs Bell “kind and well bred” and her daughters “strikingly pretty” with “very amiable and pleasing manners”.

It was good to see the site in its lovely, lush green setting. I should imagine Charlotte breathed a sigh of relief when she arrived there, finally earning a comfortable rest after such an emotional and  hectic week and being given the time to recuperate in the warm embrace of her new family. I can imagine her sitting outside enjoying the country views and feeling both welcomed and loved.